Cops Hunt For Woman With Dual Citizenship Linked To Drug Syndicate In Kelantan

KOTA BHARU, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Kelantan police are tracking down a Malaysian woman, in her 30s, who is suspected of holding two identification cards - one Malaysian and the other Thai - after a Toyota Vellfire multipurpose vehicle (MPV) she owned was seized in a major operation in Sungai Golok last week.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said that preliminary investigations found that the woman is believed to have links to a drug smuggling syndicate at the border, and is reportedly married to a Thai national.

"Cases like this often involve individuals with dual citizenship. Based on checks of the vehicle's registration number in Malaysia and information from Thai authorities, it is confirmed that the suspect holds two valid identification cards in both countries.

"It's quite challenging to track the suspect as she has two identification cards. If arrested in Thailand, the suspect can use her Thai identification card. But, if arrested here, she can use her Malaysian identification card, thus complicating efforts to determine her citizenship status,” he said.

He told reporters this after attending the monthly assembly at the Kelantan Police Headquarters here today.

"We are tracking her down. The drug seizure was in Golok, Thailand, and the woman involved is believed to be a member of the drug smuggling syndicate,” he said.

Mohd Yusoff said police would cooperate with the National Registration Department on the case, adding that the woman would be included in the police's wanted list, with efforts to track her down being jointly conducted with their Thai counterparts.

Earlier, the media reported that a Toyota Vellfire bearing a Malaysian registration number plate was among 13 assets seized in a major operation to bust drug smuggling syndicates at the border last week.

Meanwhile, the Kelantan Land and Minerals Office has identified 153 illegal jetties on state government-owned land for demolition.

He said the demolition operation would be jointly conducted with local authorities after issuing a warning notice to users one month in advance.

-- BERNAMA