KOTA BARU: Police have been put on high alert for the possible entry of fentanyl, also known as the 'zombie drug', into Malaysia.
The drug, a synthetic opioid reputedly 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, has already made its way into Thailand, and the authorities now fear that Malaysia could be its next destination.
Fentanyl has been blamed for fuelling what has been described as the worst drug crisis in the history of the United States.
It has been attributed as the leading cause of death in the US among people aged 18 to 45.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said he recently met with Thai parliament representatives, during which he was informed that the drug has already been detected in Thailand.
He also noted that in Dec last year, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized 807.9kg of fentanyl worth RM44.4 million at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Air Cargo Complex in Sepang.
The drugs, packaged in aluminium bottles, were bound for Dubai.
Zaki said police have reason to believe that should drug syndicates make an attempt to smuggle fentanyl into Malaysia, it would be via the Kelantan - Thailand border.
"During my recent meeting with Thai parliament representatives last week, we were told that fentanyl has begun entering Thailand.
"We learnt that the drugs came into Thailand via its border with Myanmar, which is also close to our border.
"Based on this, there is a real possibility of the drugs to entering Malaysia via the Thai - Kelantan border," he said at a press conference yesterday.
He said state police would be liaising with its Thai counterparts on how to fortify the border.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the area of concern in Kelantan is the Pasir Mas district, in which the town of Rantau Panjang is separated from Thailand via Sungai Golok.
Malaysia shared around 96km of Sungai Golok with Thailand.
The General Operations Force Southeast Brigade manages a 59km stretch from Pos Ibrahim Pencen to Pulau Tengkorak.
It is understood that the presence of more than 160 illegal jetties along Sungai Golok is a major concern for the authorities as these could be used for smuggling activities.
The New Straits Times had earlier this month reported how the hot weather and subsequent drying up of Sungai Golok had made it easier for smugglers to cross the river, which can now be done within a minute.
Among the items smuggled across include subsidised food items, drugs and even firearms.