Sukati (centre)
KOTA KINABALU: Most of the illegal and unregistered pesticides in the state were smuggled through Sandakan and Tawau.
The National Agriculture Department’s Deputy Director (Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Division) Sukati Sakka said most of the pesticides might have originated from neighbouring countries, Indonesia and the Philippines.
He said that, as of late, the smugglers had been using various tactics in smuggling illegal pesticides to the country.
“Our seizures had also revealed that some of illegal pesticides were actually processed and labelled within the country but it was not registered,” he told reporters when met at The Prevention of the Entry of Illegal and Unregistered in Sabah Seminar cum Banning of Paraquat Campaign here yesterday.
He said that the smugglers would enter the country by claiming and declaring that their pesticides were safely labelled as ‘fertilizers’ when in actual fact it is poisonous.
Earlier this year, the National Agriculture Department had conducted a raid in Perak and had found that the products were labelled right in the said state.
“However, the labelling in those pesticides was incomplete and it was not registered,” he added.
In view of this, he said that the department had opted to actively work with the police, Customs Department, Health Department as well as online shopping platforms.
“Some of these pesticides were sold online. Thus, we had even conducted meetings with online shopping platforms such as Lazada, 11street and mudah.my just recently to introduce our campaign and the Act that governs issues concerning the use of illegal pesticides,” said Sukati.
The department is also planning to work with Pharmacy Department on how best they can solve the said problem – with the help of forensics.