Kota bharu: Police expect at least 50 illegal bases along the Golok River on the Kelantan-Thailand border to be demolished by the end of this month. Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat stated that 25 illegal bases in the Tanah Merah and Pasir Mas districts have been dismantled since last month.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat mentioned, "We expect about 20 more illegal bases to be demolished by the end of this month, as there are still two weeks remaining." He assured that no attempts have been detected to rebuild the demolished jetties, although continuous monitoring will be carried out to prevent re-establishment. These comments were made during a press conference after the December monthly assembly at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters.
Mohd Yusoff revealed that there were leaks of information regarding the demolition operations, which resulted in rafts being moved to Thailand. However, the closure of illegal crossing points since December 2024 has led to a significant reduction in cross-border crime. He noted that prior to these efforts, approximately 500 people crossed the border daily via these routes, but that number has now decreased to about 10 per cent.
On the issue of migrant smuggling, Mohd Yusoff highlighted that syndicates using ungazetted routes were disrupted through joint enforcement operations conducted from January to November this year. During this period, 199 raids were executed, targeting cases of migrant smuggling, harbouring of migrants, and illegal border crossings.
The police opened 50 investigation papers under Sections 26A and 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. These investigations resulted in the arrest of 70 skippers and 332 migrants. For offences related to harbouring migrants under Section 55E of the Immigration Act 1959/63, 54 investigation papers were opened, leading to the arrest of 53 individuals and 214 migrants.
Furthermore, 27 investigation papers were initiated for illegal border crossings under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, resulting in the arrest of 35 individuals, including 29 locals and six Thai nationals aged between 17 and 74.
Mohd Yusoff confirmed that police efforts to secure the border will continue, especially along illegal routes, through collaboration with other enforcement agencies and sharing information with the Thai Police.