Attack on GOF personnel: 'Smugglers now desperate'

 

General Operations Force (GOF) Batalion 2 personnel making their rounds along the Malaysia-Thailand border near Padang Besar. - BERNAMA pic

RANTAU PANJANG: Smugglers operating along the country's border with Thailand are resorting to violence and aggression as they are getting desperate while conducting their illegal businesses under stricter border control measures.

This followed intensified checks by border enforcement agencies following the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), sources said.

"The implementation of the first Movement Control Order (MCO) in March, followed by a series of similar control measures and subsequent intensified checks by the authorities, have affected the smugglers whose main source of income is through smuggled goods."

Sources said as smugglers continued to suffer losses, they became desperate and resorted to drastic actions, including violence and aggression.

"These are hardcore smugglers and not petty smugglers locally known as 'ant soldiers'. They deal with drugs and firearms.

"They suffer huge losses when their activities are curbed. These smugglers, who are usually armed, are willing to take drastic action against those who prevent them from doing their job."

In the past, the smugglers were known to have made threats against officers, including using harsh words, warnings and even firing shots into the air.

"All the threats previously did not bring any harm to the officers, especially to members of the General Operations Force (GOF) from three battalions who are manning the border," said the sources.

They referred to the latest incident involving a GOF member from the seventh battalion, who was dragged 100m by a four-wheel-drive driven by a smuggler in September.

The constable was doing his routine check when the motorist suddenly sped off with the policeman who was caught on the passenger's door. The 30-year-old policeman suffered injuries on the hands and legs in the incident at Kampung Lubok Setol near here.

Sources said another incident that caught Malaysians' attention was the killing of a 54-year-old female senior Customs officer Anisah Ali, who died in a car chase with suspected smugglers at Kampung Banggol Chicha in 2016.

Anisah and several other Customs officers were chasing two vans suspected to have contained smuggled cigarettes when a third car, a four-wheel drive driven by a tonto (thug) for the smugglers, rammed her car from behind, causing it to skid and crash into a tree by the roadside.

All GOF personnel who are currently conducting Op Benteng along the Kelantan-Thailand border have been told to be extra vigilant following the latest incident in Padang Besar, Perlis, yesterday where a GOF officer was shot dead while another was seriously wounded in a shoot-out while on duty at the Malaysia-Thailand border.

The incident killed Corporal Baharuddin Ramli, 54, and left Corporal Norihan Tari, 39, injured. Norihan was reported to be in critical condition.

Baharuddin's body was taken to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star, Kedah, for a post-mortem, while Norihan was transferred to the hospital after getting initial treatment at Tuanku Fauziah Hospital in Kangar, Perlis.

Both men were from the Bidor GOF's third battalion.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said initial investigations revealed that the incident occurred when Baharuddin and Norihan were gathering intelligence. They were attacked by two groups, believed to be locals and foreigners allegedly involved in smuggling activities along the border.

A transnational security expert has called for a collective regional response to curb transboundary crimes in the country.

Dr Sheila Devi Michael said the first step towards this direction was by boosting interstate cooperation among security enforcement agencies along the country's borders.

"In the case of Malaysia-Thailand border, the hilly areas along the border allow smugglers to infiltrate into our country via 'rat lanes'.

"For porous borders like this especially, tightening border control from our end alone is not enough to stem illegal activities. We need greater collaboration with Thai authorities as well," she told the New Straits Times.

She did not dismiss the possibility that smugglers were resorting to violence out of desperation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and border tightening measures, but suggested that further police investigations were needed to verify such claims.

"Since the Wang Kelian incident in 2017, we have learnt that the government has already beefed up security measures along the Malaysia-Thailand border, and the ongoing Op Benteng has also made our borders more secure.

"So, it is possible that perpetrators are becoming more aggressive to protect their modus operandi.

"But this has to be confirmed by the police. More importantly, our agencies must forge a more robust regional cooperation to end cross-border crimes."

Professor Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy

Another expert, associate Professor Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy outlined three core areas, namely funding, intelligence gathering and reinforcing integrity among security personnel to handle transboundary crimes.

"Policymakers must ensure sufficient funding to recruit security personnel as well and procure sophisticated weapons and surveillance equipment.

"Enforcement agencies must conduct regular risk assessment on both legal and illegal entry points across our borders to identify potential security threats."

The Universiti Sains Malaysia's criminologist said training must be provided to security personnel dealing with transboundary crimes.

"Integrity of agencies is also a vital component. Swift and severe action must be taken to root out corrupt personnel in our enforcement agencies." - NST