2020: Smugglings on the border, Macau Scams among cases focused on

KUALA LUMPUR: Criminal activities linked to national borders including shootings, smuggling of migrants as well as Macau Scam fraud syndicates are among those that have riveted public attention throughout 2020.

Among the shocking events was the shoot-out with a group of smugglers at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Padang Besar, Perlis which resulted in the death of a member of the General Operations Force (GOF) and seriously injured his colleague on Nov 24.

Sergeant Baharuddin Ramli, 54, from Battalion 3 (Senoi Praaq), Northern Brigade, GOF, was killed after being shot on the left side of the abdomen while Sergeant Norihan a/l Tari, 39, was critical due to three shots in the ribs and abdomen in the incident at about 3.10 am. Both were from a Border Control Post.

The incident was reported in a shrub area in a rubber plantation that was used as a smuggling route, less than 600 metres from the border area when the two GOF members were riding motorcycles to conduct monitoring activities.

The GOF members were only armed with pistols because they were on duty as scouts and came across the smugglers, believed to be 13-strong, carrying about 500 kilogrammes of ketum leaves and a gunny bag of cough medicine before a gunfight ensued.

Following the incident, the GOF mobilised its horseback, air and armored units and members of the 69 Commando (VAT69) to the Malaysia-Thailand border in an effort to prevent smugglings and to hunt smugglers.

A number of local and Thai suspects were arrested following the incident, and on Dec 8, 52 people were remanded for 28 days under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA).

Apart from the incident, the country was also shocked by the arrest of 18 police officers, policemen and army personnel on suspicion of being involved in selling information to a syndicate smuggling illegals and drugs in Johor on June 18.

The activity was uncovered following the arrest of 40 members of an organised crime syndicate involved in the smuggling of foreign immigrants in Johor on June 4, and they were believed to have been involved in the smugglings of migrants and drugs on the east coast of Johor for the past three years.

Cases of corruption and misconduct seemed endless when 65 people comprising 39 officers of the Immigration Department of Malaysia, 17 agents and nine members of the public were arrested through Ops Selat launched by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in November to combat corruption syndicates counterfeiting the entry stamp to cross national borders.

Also attracting attention in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic were cases involving the Macau scams which seemed to have no end and in fact even more were becoming victims when the Movement Control Order (MCO) is implemented in the country to curb the COVID-19 epidemic.

Nevertheless, in early October, five individuals, including two with the titles of Datuk Seri and Datuk, who were suspected masterminds of the syndicate, were detained by the MACC to assist in the investigation of Macau Scam syndicate cases.

The 'Datuk Seri' is known by many because he often showed a luxurious life and is famous and on par with the country's popular celebrities.

Even more shocking was when the authorities also arrested several senior police officers and policemen who were said to be in cahoots to protect the syndicate which caused many victims to suffer losses of up to hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

Also adding to the controversy was when one of the main suspects escaped by climbing the fence cordoning the MACC headquarters area as soon as he was released on MACC bail.

The 32-year-old suspect, however, was arrested at a hotel in a resort centre in Pahang after being in hiding for five days.

Following that, the suspect with the title of Datuk as well as the one with the title of Datuk Seri and two policemen were sentenced to two years in detention under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (POCA).

-- BERNAMA