Taking precautions: Policemen inspecting vehicles at a roadblock near the Malaysia-Thai border. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
KANGAR: Illegal immigrants and smugglers can easily evade the authorities due to the porous nature of the Malaysian-Thai border, says a villager here.
“Every time the police conduct operations, existing rat lanes will be closed. But new routes are made,” said the villager, who requested anonymity.
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Villagers here also claimed that they could spot illegal immigrants sneaking into the country under cover of the night using “lorong tikus” or “rat lanes”.Smugglers also carry with them drugs and firearms.
A team from The Star was brought by villagers near the border in Kampung Kolam near the Padang Besar train station.
Narrow footpaths believed to be used by traffickers and smugglers could be seen near the train station.Smuggling using such rat lanes had gone on for so long that the villagers have nicknamed their village “Kampung Colombia”, after the South American country known for drug smuggling.
“I feel ashamed to tell people I was born in this village,” said a 24-year-old Kampung Kolam villager.
Working at a grocery shop, she said she could see suspicious characters, believed to be smugglers and illegal immigrants, loitering near the shop in the early hours of the morning.
“It is like a normal situation for us here. Some of these smugglers, we know them too because they are locals,” she said.
Other sources told The Star that smugglers have also been using sea routes at the coastal town of Kuala Perlis.
“Drugs, firearms and even illegal immigrants come in small numbers via sea.
“They use luxury cars to ferry their contraband inland,” said a source who used to work with a border enforcement agency.
Padang Besar MP Rushdan Rusmi urged villagers near the border to lodge police reports if they encounter any suspicious activity.
“Most importantly, never take action on your own.”
Rushdan said the authorities are constantly beefing up border security.
He said the Padang Besar Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, Security Complex should improve its facilities.
He added that the newly set up Malaysian Checkpoints and Border Agency should be given more clout to combat illegal activities near the border.
