Man held for transporting ketum leaves

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Ketum leaves weighing 80 kilogrammes were found in a four-wheel drive vehicle believed to be bound for Ranau.

KENINGAU: A man was detained for possessing several plastic bags containing kratom or ketum leaves during an Op Covid-19 road block at Kilometer 7, Jalan Tambunan-Kota Kinabalu.

Keningau district police chief Deputy Superintendent Shahrudin Mat Husain said that the suspect was riding a four-wheel drive truck when he was arrested about 11.40am on Thursday.

“Checks by the team of police from the Keningau district police headquarters, the Army and the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) found that the suspect, who is in his 30s, was acting suspiciously.

“They found 10 black plastics filled with the ketum leaves at the rear of the vehicle,” he said.

The suspect was said to be on his way home to Ranau after getting the ketum leaves from Tenom.

“The suspect was found to have misused the cross-district letter for other intentions and the ketum leaves confiscated weighing 80 kilograms were to be processed to become ketum water and distributed in Ranau.

“The suspect is believed to have started carrying out the activity since early this year,” he said.
Shahrudin said that the local man had been remanded for four days under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1852 for possessing the ketum leaves which contained Mitragynine which is punishable under Section 30(5) of the same act.

“If found guilty, the suspect can be fined not less than RM10,000 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding four years, or both.

“The misuse of ketum must be viewed seriously since it contains alkaloid psychoactive substances which induce addiction,” he said.

He also stressed that possessing and selling any form of ketum leaves or liquid is an offence.
“Police welcome the cooperation and information from the public to stop this activity,” he said.