Enforcement officers to be stationed at border checkpoints

PADANG BESAR: Enforcement officers will be deployed at seven national border checkpoints in four states, namely Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan, to combat the leakage and smuggling of controlled and subsidised goods into neighbouring countries.

Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the deployment of ministry enforcement officers will go on until the establishment of the Single Border Agency (SBA).

“Our officers during this period will conduct periodic monitoring of enforcement operations under three acts, namely the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122), the Copyright Act 1987 (Act 332) and the Trademarks Act 2019 (Act 815).

“With the immediate deployment of our officers at these seven entrances, they will be able to see for themselves and respond to the enforcement department at the ministry level and how we can improve the enforcement operation,” he said after visiting the Padang Besar Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex here on Saturday.

He said his ministry would hold talks with the Home Ministry and Immigration Department to allow enforcement officers to be stationed at the country’s entry gates like (officers of) the Customs Department.

Armizan said the placement of enforcement officers does not mean that there will be an additional layer of security checks at the country’s entry points; instead, it will be integrated into the existing inspection process.

He said his ministry will also continue the implementation of Op Tiris this year to monitor other controlled items such as sugar, cooking oil, wheat flour, RON95 petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The minister added that the government will also conduct efforts to retarget subsidies in phases this year with improvements on social assistance. He said his ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Economy Ministry are in discussions to refine “cash transfers” provided to the people, including the Rahmah Cash Aid (STR), by considering the subsidy retargeting efforts.

Meanwhile in TANAH MERAH, Kelantan, two men were arrested by the police on suspicion of attempting to smuggle cooking oil and sugar to a neighbouring country.

Tanah Merah district police chief Supt Mohd Haki Hasbullah said the suspects, both jobless and aged 20 and 30, were arrested in Kampung Batu Gajah at 9pm on Friday.

“The duo were behaving suspiciously in the car. Upon inspection, police found 30 boxes of packet cooking oil weighing 510kg and 720kg of white sugar worth RM5,500,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said investigations revealed that the suspects were trying to smuggle out the controlled goods via the Malaysian-Thai border in the district.

Supt Mohd Haki said both suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, and are on remand for three days until Jan 23 under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Bernama reported.