Malaysia’s coastguard struck gold, making its largest-ever seizure of
methamphetamine, a top official said on Sunday, seizing 2.12 tonnes of meth
masked as tea in a shipment, reportedly originating from Myanmar.

Coastguard chief Zubil Mat Som said the drugs seized from a boat in
northern Penang state were worth around 105.9 ringgit ($26.2 million). A local suspected
trafficker was taken into custody.

“It is the coastguard’s record-breaking seizure in its 15-year
history,” he told AFP.

“It is highly possible that the crystal methamphetamine was smuggled out
from Myanmar’s Golden Triangle”, he said after making sense of the
handwriting on the package. Golden Triangle, the area where the borders of
Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, is ill-famed for being the heart of narcotics
production.

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The intercepted package was supposed to reach neighbouring countries,
where it would fetch a higher price, he added.

Malaysia has expropriated a number of crystal meth packages in recent
years. The South-East Asian country renders a mandatory death penalty for convicted
drug traffickers.  

Zubil elaborated the events that led to the seizure of the $26.2 million
shipment.

A recreational boat’s suspicious movements caught the coastguard’s
attention. Following this, he chased after the boat when a lone 26-year-old man
aboard refused to pull the brakes. He jumped off the vessel and was arrested, the
coastguard said in a statement.

Officers found 130 sacks containing 2.12 tonnes of crystal
methamphetamine which was disguised as Chinese tea, it added.

Zubil said drug smugglers were opting for new tactics during the
coronavirus pandemic, adding that the coastguard would work closely with the
police to disrupt smugglers and dealers.