KOTA BARU: Kelantan police have confirmed that a Toyota Vellfire with a Malaysian registration number, which was seized by Thai authorities in a drug operation recently, belonged to a Malaysian woman suspected to be part of a cross-border drug syndicate.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the confirmation was made after checks on the vehicle’s registration.
“I just returned from a meeting with our Thai counterparts a few days ago.
“They informed us that the vehicles with Malaysian registration plates seized during their anti-drug operation were linked to individuals suspected of holding dual citizenship.
“In this particular case, the Vellfire was owned by a Malaysian woman in her 30s, who is believed to have both Malaysian and Thai nationalities.
“Her husband is a Thai national and both are suspected to be members of a drug smuggling syndicate,” he told reporters at a press conference today.
Mohd Yusoff said police, with the assistance of their Thai counterparts, were tracking down the couple, who are believed to be active along the Kelantan-Thai border.
“We suspect the syndicate run by this couple is part of a larger international network.
“We will be working closely with Thai police to trace their whereabouts,” he said, adding that police will be placing the woman on the wanted list soon.
He said that tracing individuals with dual nationalities, especially those residing along the border, posed a challenge.
“We hope the National Registration Department (NRD) can carry out a thorough review, especially involving those living near the border areas,” he said.
It was reported yesterday that Thai authorities have not ruled out the possibility that drug traffickers operating along the border hold Malaysian and Thai citizenship to avoid detection.
Sungai Golok Narcotics Administration Centre chairman Supeeyan Daemokleng said recent investigations suggest that traffickers are taking advantage of their cross-border status.
This allows them to move freely between Thailand and Malaysia.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
