Bid to smuggle out cockle spat foiled
SITIAWAN: Kampung Acheh marine police foiled an attempt to smuggle out cockle spat from a fishermen’s jetty in Manjung on Wednesday morning.
Base commanding officer Deputy Superintendent Salehuddin Mat Zaman said police moved in following a tip-off.
“A 40-year-old man was arrested and police found 200kg of cockle spat in his lorry,” he said, adding that the suspect was out on bail and the matter would be investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985.
DSP Salehuddin told a news conference at the base yesterday that greed was the reason for the activity.
“The market value for 1kg of cockle spat is RM12 if sold locally, but if exported to neighbouring countries it can go up to as high as RM80,” he added.
He appealed to fishermen in Pantai Lekir and Pantai Pasir Panjang to always follow the law and not to take short cuts to reap profits.
“Their actions will cause a shortage of cockle spat locally.” On another matter, DSP Salehuddin said there was an increase in the number of cases recorded by marine police last year compared with 2004.
“Last year, marine police recorded 47 cases while in 2004, there were only 15 cases,” he said, adding that the highest seizure last year was cigarettes, fireworks and liquor worth more than RM1mil.
:sucky:
