BUKIT KAYU HITAM, Jan 1 — The General Operations Force (PGA) through the Second Battalion PGA Kulim have detained a human trafficking agent (tekong darat) and 14 illegals (PATI) on the Malaysia-Thai border here on December 12.
North Brigade commander, SAC Mohd Shahar Ibrahim said the 30-year-old Thai man was detained at 12.21am while attempting to smuggle in Myanmar illegals comprising nine men and three women, in their early 40s, along the border from Pos 16 to Pos 7.
‘’The suspect was also before this involved in taking out two more Myanmar illegals to Thailand which we managed to intercept an hour near the same location,” he told reporters here today.
He said the suspect who was well-versed concerning the jungle in the area took the illegals along ‘rat’ trails before breaking the border fence to enter this country and was paid a fee of RM400 by the syndicate for every illegal brought in.
‘’The Thai was detained for investigation under Section 26 (A) Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007 while all the Myanmar illegals were investigated under Section 6(1) Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Shahar the Ops Wawasan Kedah/Perlis conducted by PGA starting on December 1 until yesterday succeeded in detaining four local men, aged from their 30s to 40s, and seizing 1,528kg of ketum leaves worth over RM78,000 in Padang Besar and Kaki Bukit, Perlis on December 14 and 18.
He said the first seizure was done at the border gate at Pos 16, Padang Besar involving 293kg of ketum leaves worth RM14,650 while the second seizure was at a hut in the Lubuk Sireh Felcra rubber plantation, Kaki Bukit with ketum leaves weighing 1,275kg worth RM63,750.
Also seized from all the suspects were RM510 cash and six motorcycles which were used to ferry the ketum leaves to Thailand.
All those detained were investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952 which if found guilty could be fined a maximum of RM10,000 or jail not more than four years or both.
‘’We carried out many other ketum seizures in the last month, we also succeeded in seizing 165 cartons of smuggled Astro brand cigarettes worth almost RM5,000 in Padang Besar which were investigated under Section 135(c)(d) of the Customs Act 1967,” he said.
In the meantime, Mohd Shahar said PGA also boosted surveillance to check ganja smuggling or other drugs along the Malaysia-Thailand border following the Thai government’s move in passing the amendment of its narcotics law which saw the use of ganja for medicinal purposes no longer an offence in the country. — Bernama
