KUANTAN: Three men suspected to be high on drugs resorted to jumping into the river to evade arrest during Op Guardian in Sungai Belat here.

State deputy director of operations of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Maritime Captain Mohd Marmizi Md Nor said the dramatic river chase occurred at around 10am on Tuesday (July 29) during a joint operation with other security and enforcement agencies.

He said two of the suspects tried to hide under the jetty while another swam away in a bid to escape.

"Besides inspecting fishing boats in Sungai Kuantan, we also conducted raids on several hot spots, including the jetty.

"We managed to arrest all three suspects, aged between 40 and 50, on suspicion of being involved in drug abuse," he said.

Mohd Marmizi said the operation, held for the first time in collaboration with seven other agencies, took place over two days.

He said the focus was on Sungai Kuantan estuary and Kuantan Port to check for any violations of the law. - Bernama