Smugglers use rising Golok River to bring seven deer into Kelantan
TUMPAT: Smugglers are believed to have taken advantage of rising water levels in the Golok River to transport seven deer from Thailand into Kelantan by boat before the animals were intercepted by police early today.
Smugglers allegedly used rising water levels in the Golok River to transport seven deer from Thailand into Kelantan via boat. The animals, housed in five wooden crates inside a lorry, were seized by police during an operation early today. The General Operations Force (GOF) Seventh Battalion, under Operation Taring Wawasan Kelantan, intercepted the deer at Chabang Empat Tok Mek Ngah.
A 31-year-old man was also arrested during the 4:15 am operation. The GOF Task Force detected the suspicious vehicle during a mobile patrol in the border area. The lorry driver, lacking valid permit, licence, or documentation, admitted to collecting the deer from the Pohon Ta illegal jetty, intending to transport them to Terengganu.
The seized items, including an Isuzu lorry valued at RM80,000 and the seven deer estimated at RM35,000, are now under investigation by the Kelantan Veterinary Services Department under Section 36(1) of the Animals Act.
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