Tight control may push smuggling syndicates to shift to Perak's border - Police

IPOH: 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 MalaysianArmed 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 the14th 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