Tumpat, 6th April 2025 - Coconut smuggling across the Kelantan-Thai border has surged, with Malaysian authorities seizing more coconuts in the first three months of this year than in all of 2024.

Last year, the General Operations Force (GOF) seized RM1.8 million worth of coconuts.

In the first three months of this year, it seized coconuts worth RM2.9 million from 11 smuggling attempts, fuelled by high demand in Thailand.

GOF Southeast Brigade Commander, SAC Dato’ Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab. Hamid said these busts led to the arrests of 24 people.

In comparison, there were 10 coconut smuggling cases involving 10 people in 2024.

Dato’ Nik Ros Azhan said investigations revealed that most of the smuggled coconuts passed through illegal storage facilities in Simpangan before they were transported to Thailand.

He said at least nine illegal storage facilities operating along Sungai Golok in Pengkalan Kubor have been identified.

Read futher on the New Straits Times' article attached.