PPM needs assets against cross border crimes, illegals

LANGKAWI, June 26 -- The Marine Police Force (PPM) is in need of new and sophisticated asset replacements, namely, speedboats to curb cross-border crime and encroachment by illegals into national territorial waters.

Penang Region One PPM deputy commander Supt Shoppri Saad said 60 per cent of PPM boats had been used for 10 to 30 years.

“Based on our observations patrolling the national territorial waters, we find most illegal boats are using sophisticated and fast engines for their boats.

"It makes it very difficult for us to pursue illegal immigrants. PPM badly requires such sophisticated boats to deal with them," he told Bernama in an exclusive media coverage with the National Task Force, here.

PPM boats also did not have any sophisticated radar to detect movements of foreign ships or boats entering the country's waters, he added.

In another development, Shoppri said PPM was also short of manpower as there had been no recruitment to new posts.

"This has led to a shortage of personnel to carry out the tasks to eradicate cross-border crimes and curb the entries of illegal immigrants," he said.

He said to resolve the issue, PPM had teamed up with the General Operations Force (GOF) to conduct coastal patrols and the police air units to be PPM’s eyes by conducting aerial surveys.

Meanwhile, questioned on the results of investigations on the body of a Rohingya woman which was found after a recent intrusion by 269 illegal immigrants into the waters of Langkawi, he said PPM was still awaiting the results of a post-mortem.

On June 8, Bernama reported that 269 Rohingya were arrested by Malaysian enforcement authorities when they tried to encroach into Langkawi waters and the body of a woman was found in the boat they were traveling in.

-- BERNAMA