On guard: A police officer from Battalion 2 of D Company of the GOF inspecting a Thai national driver’s document at a roadblock near the Malaysia-Thailand border in Wang Kelian.
KANGAR: The villagers of Kampung Wang Kelian were used to seeing Thai-registered vehicles plying the backroads of their hamlet, stacked with canisters of diesel, cooking oil or bags of rice.
The vehicles, used by smugglers, would skirt the main roads to drive into the village at the Malaysia-Thailand borders before sneaking into the neighbouring country.
Not anymore.
Thanks to increased patrol and surveillance along the border to stamp out smuggling activities via “lorong tikus” (rat lanes) by security forces, the smuggling has been reduced.
Police have also thwarted several attempts by illegals to cross onto the Malaysian side of the fence in Padang Besar and Wang Kelian.
“Since the reopening of our borders on April 1 last year, the number of illegal immigrants trying to sneak into the country has increased,” said Perlis police chief SAC Datuk Surina Saad.
From January to March this year, there were 125 cases, compared with just 86 during the same period last year.
Myanmar nationals topped the list with 78 people, followed by Indonesia (24), India (11), Thailand (seven), Bangladesh (two), and one each from Pakistan, China and Cambodia.
“Padang Besar had the most cases this year with 123 arrests, followed by Kangar with two cases,” she said.
These illegal immigrants, she added, had tried to avoid detection by using several “lorong tikus” along the border.
Despite the stringent checks, illegal activities by smugglers are still going on, especially in Perlis, although the smugglers are now even staying away from the villages.
SAC Surina said joint operations by the General Operations Force (GOF) and other relevant agencies have been carried out regularly to prevent any illegal immigrants from entering.
“Even during the festive period, we will not let our guard down. It is vital to ensure our border is protected all the time,” she said.
When The Star’s team visited Wang Kelian recently, the situation was calm, with several Thai-registered vehicles moving in and out at checkpoints.
Security was, however, tight, with several roadblocks manned by personnel from Company D Battalion 2 of the GOF Perlis.
On the use of cannabis among Malaysians in Thailand – which legalised the drug last year – SAC Surina said banners and flyers have been put at the border to warn visitors against consuming the drug as it is still banned in Malaysia.
In Kedah, state police chief Comm Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad also said there are fewer cases of illegal immigrants crossing into the country in the state.
“So far, I am happy to note that the situation is under control,” he said.
Comm Wan Hassan said detailed operations and stringent patrols are being conducted along the border in Bukit Kayu Hitam and its surrounding areas.
He said during the festive period, patrols and surveillance will continue to prevent smuggling activities.
Malaysia’s northern border has witnessed several notorious incidents, with the worst being the 2015 Rohingya issue, when 139 graves and 28 human trafficking camps were discovered in the Wang Burma and Wang Perah hills in Wang Kelian.
The graves were believed to belong to Rohingya smuggled in from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
In November 2020, a GOF member was shot dead while his patrol partner was seriously injured after they were involved in a shootout with smugglers in Padang Besar.
Kpl Baharuddin Ramli, 54, died at the scene, while Kpl Norihan Tari, 39, was severely injured.
Baharuddin was a member of the feared and respected Senoi Praaq, who are known for their tracking abilities in the jungle.
Established in 1956, the Senoi Praaq are a crack troop specialising in deep jungle reconnaissance work.
