Annabelle Lee & Hariz Mohd; Published: 18 Oct 2019
- Updated with Bukit Aman’s response that officers implicated in the videos have been identified and taken action upon
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| Courtesy: worldofbuzz.com |
The MACC unveiled a series of videos today which depicted smuggling activities happening across the Thai-Malaysian border in Padang Besar, Perlis.
The clips, which the anti-corruption agency said were handed to them recently, dated from 2017 to May this year.
They showed how enforcement officers would stand around or be occupied on their mobile phones as smugglers carried sacks of goods across the border in plain sight.
It also showed officers being approached by smugglers before they commenced smuggling activities.
In an immediate response, IGP Abdul Hamid Bador told Malaysiakini that Bukit Aman has since identified and taken action on the border security officers implicated in the clips.
According to MACC’s analysis, smuggling was most rampant between 6am and 9am when enforcement officers changed shifts.
Among the things it believed was being brought illegally across the border were ketum leaves, petrol, fertiliser, flour, cooking oil and sundry items which were cheaper in Malaysia than in Thailand.
Addressing the press conference after playing the clips, MACC chief Latheefa Koya said that the videos showed “blatant” smuggling at the border and did not discount the possibility of more serious transborder crimes like human and drug trafficking.
The agency has since informed the police about its discovery.
“We have handed all video clips to the police. We will work with the IGP (Abdul Hamid) to take the necessary action.
“[...] (And) once we get the details from the police, we will take the necessary action (that is) within our jurisdiction.
“Of course, the police on their side will have to take the necessary action to step up and tighten the borders, which would include rotations, changing and everything else that we need to do,” she said.
“We believe the data we received also involves the Immigration Department, Customs Department and the National Security Council (MKN),” Latheefa added.
Police probe underway
When contacted, Abdul Hamid said that the police had initiated a probe into the clips since receiving them late last month, and was working closely with the MACC and MKN on the matter.
He added that the improvements had been made to the police’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) for those stationed at national borders and entry points.
Smugglers have also been arrested.
"Since the past four to five months, General Operations Force (PGA) officers at the borders had recorded many successes in crippling smuggling syndicates that were responsible in trafficking all sorts of contrabands, illicit cigarettes, drugs, exotic animals, firearms, immigrants.
"They also arrested smugglers who tried to give them money (in exchange for allowing their activities).
"Their (officers’) awareness to carry out their duties with full integrity had been showing more and more. (And) with the latest standing orders on their duty SOPs, I am confident that cases of leakages at our borders can be decreased drastically,” he said.
- Mkini
- https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/496400
Padang Besar cross-border smuggling: Suspected police officers, personnel transferred
ReplyDeleteBernama; Published on October 31, 2019.
The police officers and personnel suspected of being involved in corruption relating to cross-border smuggling have been transferred and would not be allowed to serve under the General Operations Force (GOF), said Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador.
Without revealing further details, he said while the actions were being taken, they would remain in their respective battalions and would only be allowed to carry out office work as well as internal camp administration.
“They will not be allowed to serve in the field such as the national border, anymore and some of them had actions taken against them before.
“There were many successful seizures and arrests made before this, GOF which is placed under the authority of Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director, Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani had contributed to tightening security control at the border,” he said at an integrated operation press conference at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.
He was commenting on the development in the arrests of cross-border smuggling in Padang Besar, Perlis.
Earlier the MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya exposed thousands of video clippings on smuggling activities at the country's border due to corruption since 2017. Among the goods smuggled are cooking oil, onion, fertilizer, diesel, petrol and sundry items which are cheaper in Malaysia compared to a neighbouring country.
The MACC also played one of the videos on smuggling at the Padang Besar border in Perlis which was handed over to police for further action.
- Bernama
- Mkini
- https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/498002
Stricter surveillance at Malaysia-Thai border in Perlis, Kedah may push smuggling rings to move to Pengkalan Hulu-Betong, says Perak police chief
ReplyDeleteThursday, 03 Dec 2020 08:05 PM MYT
IPOH, Dec 3 — Police have not ruled out the possibility of tight surveillance and control at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Perlis and Kedah will push smuggling syndicates to shift to the Pengkalan Hulu-Betong border in the state.
Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the Pengkalan Hulu-Betong border received less attention by smugglers to carry out illegal activities as the area is hilly and covered with thick forests.
“That’s why this border area is not the main choice for smuggling activities, but we do not rule out the possibility that the route may become the target after this and of course we are constantly tightening control through cooperation with several other security agencies.
“The distance between the border gate in Pengkalan Hulu and the nearest town in the neighbouring country namely Bentong is only 700 metres, hence the tight control,” he said when met by Bernama at the Perak Police Contingent Headquarters here on Tuesday.
Mior Faridalathrash said security and monitoring assignments along the border which has 12km-long wall and 11.4km-long barbed wire fence also involved other agencies such as the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Malaysian Border Security, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the Immigration Department.
He said those who wish to enter the border area must pass through a roadblock at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complex in Bukit Berapit, Pengkalan Hulu which is also assisted by the 14th Battalion of the General Operations Force.
Mior Faridalathrash however admitted that small scale smuggling activities still occurred at the border, especially involving food items such as cooking oil, wheat flour, sugar, milk and Thai rice as well as ketum, drugs, firearms.
He said from January to September this year, 14 smuggling cases were recorded involving the arrest of nine individuals including a foreign national.
“Among the items seized were three vehicles, 117,316 cigarettes and more than 1,000 litres of liquor with a total seizure of RM330,537,” he said.
On whether security forces at the Perak borders had ever received threats or been attacked by smugglers, Mior Faridalathrash said police had not received any reports on the matter so far.
Meanwhile, hesaid police also increased intelligence activities to combat ketum smuggling activities along Jalan Raya Timur Barat (JRTB) Gerik-Jeli. — Bernama
- MMail
- https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/03/stricter-surveillance-at-malaysia-thai-border-in-perlis-kedah-may-push-smug/1928572