13 Vietnamese Detained With 5.2Kg Of Agarwood

NIBONG TEBAL (Penang, Malaysia), July 11 (Bernama) -- The Penang Forestry Department detained 13 Vietnamese and seized 5.2kg of Agarwood worth US$7,851 (RM25,000) after raiding a house in Kampung Simpang Ampat, Thursday. Penang Forestry Department director Roslee Jamaludin said during the 2am raid, seven men and six women (all Vietnamese), aged between 20 and 40, were detained. "We seized 5.2kg of Agarwood and tools used to cut down trees and equipment used for grading Agarwood," he said when contacted here Thursday. Roslee said initial investigations revealed that the 13 were members of a syndicate that is believed to be involved in stealing Agarwood in Penang and Perak. "We are not ruling out the possibility that the syndicate, masterminded by a foreigner, could have been involved in such activities for a long time. "The house we raided has been used as a collection centre and place for grading Agarwood before the product is sold. We believe the syndicate had raked in thousands of Ringgit illegally," he said. -- BERNAMA