KOTA BARU: Kelantan recorded losses of RM33.47mil in commercial crime from January to August, an increase of RM5.97mil or 21.7% from RM27.5mil reported in the same period last year.
Kelantan police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat (pic) said the number of commercial crime cases also rose from 1,100 to 1,921, an increase of 821 cases (74.6%).
He said one of the most significant increases was in e-commerce scams, which rose from 260 to 657 cases (152%), while other cybercrimes also increased from 287 to 444 cases (54%).
"This trend shows that crime is increasingly changing in line with technological developments.
"Therefore, our actions must also change rapidly, particularly in prevention and public awareness," he said in his speech at the state police contingent monthly assembly here on Tuesday (Sept 22).
However, Comm Yusoff said the overall crime index for the Kelantan contingent from January to August fell 3% to 1,213 cases from with 1,251 cases in the same period last year.
He said violent crime also declined 11% from 310 to 276 cases, while property crime fell from 941 to 937 cases.
On the drug threat, he said narcotics cases decreased 13% from 18,427 to 16,044 during the period, while arrests fell 10% year-on-year, from 19,469 to 17,579.
He said the value of drugs seized also declined 31.49% from RM25.47mil to RM17.45mil, as a result of more systematic and focused efforts to combat the threat.
In terms of prevention, Comm Yusoff said the state police continued to implement various approaches, including more patrols, Amanita special squads, community policing programmes and networks with relevant agencies.
He said community participation through the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) also needed to be strengthened, with 150,019 people having registered as VSP members in the Kelantan contingent as of Aug 31.
He said efforts to engage with young people should also take into account the influence of screens, social media and the digital world, which increasingly shape their lives, while maintaining face-to-face interaction to build public trust.
Comm Yusoff said these ongoing efforts were important to ensure that public safety was always safeguarded, in line with the force’s responsibility to maintain peace in the state. – Bernama
