The agency’s officers also seized 50,000 litres of diesel and two vessels.

Pahang MMEA director Mazlan Mat Rejab said the drugs were believed to be destined for the international market and could potentially be distributed to about nine million individuals.

He said the operation’s success was the result of intelligence gathered by the agency, leading to the detention of a 50.34m tanker, Kamal Bangkok, registered in Thailand, together with 10 Thai and three Indonesian crew members, aged between 33 and 68.

“The vessel was detained about 107 nautical miles northeast of Kuantan at 10.47am yesterday,” he told a press conference here today.

Mazlan said another cargo vessel, Sail Fish 09, registered in Indonesia and measuring 39.8m, was detained at about 10.50am in the same vicinity with five crew members, aged between 33 and 71, believed to be linked to the first vessel.

He described the seizure as the largest ever recorded by Pahang MMEA, marking a significant milestone in efforts to curb drug smuggling in the state’s waters.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and the Immigration Act 1958.

All 18 crew members will be remanded from tomorrow until Feb 19 to facilitate investigations.