State MMEA deputy director of operations Kama Azri Kamil said the seizure – the largest in the past five years – was made possible through intelligence on the suspicious movement of a fibreglass boat in the area.

He said a patrol boat was deployed to inspect and intercept the vessel but the suspects, upon noticing the authorities, sped off into shallow waters before jumping out of the boat and escaping into a mangrove forest.

“Two suspects are believed to have escaped, leaving behind a boat with a 200-horsepower outboard engine.

“Upon inspecting the boat, they found 12 sacks filled with plastic packages containing crystalline powder believed to be methamphetamine,” he told a press conference at the Batu Pahat Maritime Zone today.

Kama Azri said each sack weighed 25kg, bringing the total seizure to 300kg. The drugs could have sustained the addiction of over a million users.

He said the seized items, including the fibreglass boat, were taken to the Batu Pahat Maritime Zone, with the case being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“MMEA will not compromise and will continue to ramp up operations and enforcement to curb cross-border criminal activities,” he said.