Illegal Border Crossing: Undercover Police Give Impact With 30 Arrests Since Aidiladha

KOTA BHARU, June 18 (Bernama) -- Disguising themselves as villagers by wearing batik and sarong is one of the tactics used by police officers in Kelantan to arrest individuals who illegally enter the Malaysia-Thailand border in the state.

The unexpected measure proved effective when 37 individuals were arrested in 30 cases since the recent Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said disguising as villagers allowed police to move unnoticed among suspects who entered through the rat trails.

"If we were in uniform, the illegal immigrants would run away on seeing us. So we change our approach by putting on mufti. The aim is to arrest immediately, not just prevent.

"The 136-kilometre (km) border is too wide to be monitored with the existing strength of personnel, especially when the area controlled by the PGA is only around 50 km," he said.

He said this at a press conference after the Kelantan PDRM Monthly Assembly for June at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters here, today.

Mohd Yusoff also stressed that there was no issue of corruption in the operation and his members were now instructed to go undercover and arrest immediately, especially in 'hotspot' areas that have been identified as locations where people often enter and leave without permission.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff also denied the viral claim about packet cooking oil from Malaysia which was allegedly sold openly in the south Thailand.

He said investigations found the allegations were untrue and that they were old news that had been re-circulated.

-- BERNAMA