SMUGGLING SYNDICATES SHIFTING MODUS OPERANDI, 10 'HOTSPOT' SEA ROUTES IDENTIFIED - KELANTAN MARITIME

PASIR PUTEH, April 18 (Bernama) — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritime Malaysia) has observed a significant shift in the modus operandi of cigarette smuggling and entry of illegal immigrants into the country following the closure of illegal land routes along the Malaysia-Thailand border since December last year.

Kelantan Maritime Director, Maritime Captain Erwan Shah Soahdi, said the smuggling syndicates are increasingly turning to sea routes instead of land, with authorities having identified more than 10 ‘hotspot’ locations frequently used for these illicit activities.

He said the key areas of concern include riverbanks and coastal stretches in Pengkalan Kubor, Tok Bali, and Kota Bharu, which are now used as landing sites.

“Before this, smugglers preferred to use small vehicles via land routes to transport contraband cigarettes, to minimise losses if intercepted by enforcement agencies. However, they have now shifted to sea routes, using twin-engine boats.

“The syndicate also takes advantage of the terrain, such as river banks which have access routes, and they even had 'tontos'. The contraband will be unloaded at certain locations and then picked up by other parties," he told reporters after the Kelantan Maritime Aidilfitri Open House, here, last night.

Regarding the smuggling of illegal immigrants, he said, the syndicates involved have begun using fishing boats as camouflage to avoid detection by authorities.

“The immigrants are typically transferred from the other side using speedboats before being funnelled through narrow river channels and eventually arriving on land.

“They often choose to operate at night, taking advantage of the darkness and limited visibility in the open sea,” he said.

Addressing allegations that local fishermen may be assisting these syndicates, Erwan Shah dismissed the claims, stressing that such accusations are baseless and risk damaging the strong relationship between the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the local fishing community.

“We have the Sahabat Maritime Programme, and the fishing community has long served as our eyes and ears at sea. It is unfair to cast suspicion without concrete evidence,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said, the Ops Pagar, held in conjunction with the festive season, has been further reinforced with the deployment of a special task force to patrol high-risk zones.

“The Kelantan Maritime remains steadfast in enhancing surveillance and intelligence gathering in key areas. We urge the public to come forward with any information that could aid in our efforts to combat smuggling and illegal entry into Malaysian waters,” he added.

-- BERNAMA