TUMPAT: A 31-year-old transporter who has spent 11 years ferrying livestock believed to have been smuggled from Thailand to various destinations nationwide was arrested today while transporting seven deer to Terengganu.
Khairul (not his real name) said he had been transporting cattle, goats and other livestock from the Kelantan-Thailand border to destinations including Selangor and Johor since 2015.
The father of a 5-month-old baby from Chabang Empat, who also works as a lorry driver, said he made an average of 3 trips a week, earning between RM350 and RM450 per trip.
He could earn up to RM6,000 a month from the transportation job.
His 11-year run came to an end when border enforcement personnel arrested him while he was transporting the seven deer to Besut.
“I was paid RM200 to deliver the deer to Terengganu, but my luck ran out when I was arrested today.
“This is my second arrest by the border enforcement authorities. The first was last year,” he said when met.
Khairul said he had been making trips from the Kelantan border to other states for more than a decade, transporting various types of livestock, including cattle and goats, believed to have been smuggled from Thailand.
He admitted that he had always feared being caught but had managed to evade the authorities over the years.
“Transporting smuggled cattle has been my job for many years, and I have been good at evading the authorities all this while,” he said jokingly.
Meanwhile, sources said Khairul was among several transporters operating along the Kelantan border who were believed to be working in cahoots with smugglers.
They said the smuggling activities were not confined to livestock but also involved other types of contraband.