Suspected Pest-Carrying Orchids Worth RM280,000 Seized In Tumpat

KOTA BHARU, June 5 (Bernama) -- The 8th Battalion of the General Operations Force (GOF) seized 1,400 orchid plants, worth RM280,000, that are suspected to have been smuggled in from Thailand and believed to carry pests during an operation in Kampung Lalang Pepuyu, Tumpat, yesterday.

Its Southeast Brigade commander, SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain, said the GOF personnel were conducting patrols under Ops Taring Wawasan when they stopped a Toyota Hilux being driven in a suspicious manner.

After inspecting the vehicle, they found 1,400 orchid plants believed to have been brought in from the neighbouring country without proper authorisation and having the potential to be a threat to the local agricultural sector.

“Upon questioning, it was found that the driver, a 20-year-old man, had collected the plants from a nursery around Kampung Rahmat, Rantau Panjang. The plants are believed to be intended for sale in the East Coast states, particularly Terengganu and Pahang, where there is a high demand for such exotic ornamental plants,” he said in a statement today.

He said all the seized orchid plants had been handed over to the Kelantan Agriculture Department for follow-up action, including inspections related to pest risks and compliance with plant quarantine requirements.

According to him, the total value of the seizure, including the vehicle,  was estimated at RM400,000 and that the case is being investigated under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976.

-- BERNAMA