Malaysia-Thailand border rice smuggling syndicate used cranes to load trailers, say police

KOTA BARU: Police have revealed that a rice smuggling ring operating along the Malaysia-Thailand border, specifically around Rantau Panjang, employed the use of cranes to load illicit rice onto trailers. This modus operandi became known to Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat after a video demonstrating the smuggling operation went viral on social media.

Following this widespread exposure, the police successfully identified and apprehended the individuals responsible for the crane-assisted smuggling activities. According to Datuk Yusoff, the case has been resolved and the smuggling activity has not been observed on a regular basis over the past two to three days due to their intensified enforcement measures.

The syndicate may have managed to evade detection by border enforcement agencies for an extended period.

The video, uploaded to TikTok by the account @prihatinkelantan, allegedly depicts bags of rice sourced from Thailand being loaded onto trailers using cranes. The rice is then transported via boat along the Golok riverbank. Sources suggest that the syndicate engaged in transporting between five and six trailer loads of illicit rice daily. These consignments are believed to be distributed to various parts of Malaysia, notably the northern states, through Jalan Jeli.