Two women detained after RM3.47mil agarwood seizure in Kelantan

PASIR MAS: Two women were detained after police seized agarwood worth RM3.47 million in a raid on a house in Kampung Baharu Cherang Hangus, Chicha Tinggi.

The raid was conducted at 5pm yesterday under Op Taring Wawasan by personnel from the General Operations Force (GOF) 7th Battalion's Intelligence Branch, assisted by the Kelantan Forestry Department.

GOF Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the raid followed surveillance and information from the public.

He said inspections of the house, a storeroom and an old factory next to the residence uncovered 197 agarwood logs and 310.8kg of agarwood pieces, as well as seven plastic drums and 11 documents.

"The two women, aged 19 and 54, were detained after producing suspicious documents relating to ownership of the items.

"The arrests and seized items were subsequently handed over to the Kelantan Forestry Department," he said.

He said initial investigations found that the premises were believed to have been operating since 2000 and had previously held a licence to collect agarwood.

"However, the licence and permit to transport the wood were found to have been terminated by the Forestry Department in 2016.

"The factory's original owner died in September, and all the agarwood was managed and kept by the family.

"The agarwood is believed to have been obtained from forests and privately owned land across Kelantan since 2016," he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 84 of the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313) for storing agarwood without a valid licence or permit.

Agarwood, often known as 'black gold', is a highly prized fragrant wood used in luxury perfumes and incense because of its distinctive aroma and high market value.