Police move to clear 223 illegal border jetties along Kelantan-Thai border

 

AUTHORITIES have torn down 62 illegal jetties along the Kelantan–Thailand border as of yesterday, as part of an ongoing enforcement operation.

Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said work is continuing to remove the remaining structures and the operation is expected to be wrapped up within a week.

So far, police have identified 223 illegal jetties along the Kelantan stretch of the border — 216 built on government land and seven on private property.

Of those on state land, 120 are makeshift, non-permanent structures while 96 are more permanent constructions. Security forces have already demolished 62 of the permanent jetties.

The remaining permanent structures, especially those located in Tumpat, have been placed on the priority list for immediate removal, with no room for compromise, he told reporters after the Kelantan Contingent Police Headquarters’ monthly assembly today.

Items commonly smuggled across the Thailand-Kelantan border include drugs, firearms, controlled Malaysian goods (subsidised items like cooking oil and sugar), and cheaper Thai goods (food products, cosmetics, rice, and livestock). 

The smuggling activities are primarily driven by price differences, taxes, and market demand on either side of the border. 

Recently in Jan 2026, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living enforcement seized over 600kg of sugar and cooking oil at a Pasir Mas smuggling base, with one suspect escaping across the Golok River.

Yusoff stressed that any jetty already torn down must not be rebuilt under any circumstances. He added that district and departmental leaders will be held fully accountable if cleared areas are not properly monitored and controlled.

He noted that the Malaysia–Thailand border is more than just a geographical boundary, describing it as a known route for cross-border crimes including drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human trafficking and the movement of contraband.

As such, dismantling illegal jetties along the border is an ongoing security effort rather than a temporary exercise, forming part of what he called a “silent battle” to safeguard national sovereignty.

He also warned that enforcement agencies will not tolerate attempts to turn Kelantan into a transit point for criminal activity. Inter-agency cooperation must continue to be strengthened to ensure enforcement remains thorough, consistent and effective over the long term in tackling cross-border crime.

While emphasising the importance of a community-oriented policing approach to gain public cooperation and intelligence, he said this should not be mistaken for leniency towards lawbreakers. —Focus Malaysia