7,159 individuals held for various offences in 2021 - Bukit Aman

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) recorded 8,234 cases and detained 7,159 individuals for various criminal offences including smuggling of migrants and national treasures in 2021.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Hazani Ghazali, in a statement today, said the total seizure amount recorded during the period was RM601.1 million.

He said seizures worth RM223.9 million were recorded by the General Operations Force while the Marine Police Force recorded seizures worth RM292.7 million through various operations on drugs and poison offences, national treasures, contrabands, Immigration Act, Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act and other Acts.

"The Intelligence and Special Investigation Branch has recorded seizures worth RM93.5 million involving cases under the Customs Act 1967 and other Acts. Criminal activities, such as smuggling of migrants and contrabands, vary depending on border zones," he said.

He said in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, goods that were often smuggled were ketum, liquor, cough mixture, drugs and illegal immigrants while in the eastern zone, it involved rice, cooking oil, petrol and diesel, livestock and counterfeit products.

Hazani said most of the items smuggled in the central and southern zones were cigarettes, liquor, drugs, wildlife and immigrants.

In Sabah and Sarawak, smuggling activities were carried out via rat trails involving cigarettes, liquor, timber, mangrove wood, controlled daily necessities, wildlife and immigrants.

Hazani said the statistics on detentions of migrants also showed that the individuals detained had their respective roles in smuggling cases including as agents, land and sea skippers, shelter house caretakers or transporters.

-- BERNAMA