KUALA LUMPUR: Existing detection technology at the country’s entry points remains capable of curbing smuggling, but must be continuously upgraded to keep pace with changing tactics, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said technology was advancing rapidly and smuggling syndicates were constantly changing their modus operandi.
"We are confident that existing technology is capable, but we are never complacent. We will continue to enhance our inspection and detection capabilities by adopting new technologies.
"The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) optimises the use of these technologies by coordinating risk-based inspections, intelligence and the expertise of enforcement officers," he said during the ministry’s winding-up session for Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Oct 27).
He said that despite being a relatively new agency, AKPS had shown its effectiveness through enforcement operations.
As of this month, seizures by AKPS had helped prevent leakages in national revenue amounting to RM322.74mil, a fourfold increase over last year.
On concerns about increasingly sophisticated cross-border smuggling, including drug trafficking cases involving Malaysians arrested overseas, Saifuddin said international cooperation was crucial in tackling the problem, given Malaysia’s geographical position and extensive borders.
He said recent incidents had tarnished the country’s reputation, including the arrest of a Malaysia Airlines co-pilot in Jakarta and two passengers in Surabaya, as well as the detection of drugs on a Malaysian-owned aircraft that flew from Subang to Laos.
The aircraft left Malaysia empty before drugs were loaded onto it in Laos, he said, adding that it was a chartered flight with Manila as the final destination.
Saifuddin Nasution said Malaysia promptly contacted the Laotian authorities after the incident, while cooperation with Indonesian police had enabled Malaysian investigators to gain access to those arrested in Jakarta.
He said 80% of the drug supply entering Malaysia came from abroad, while the remaining 20% was produced locally.
Malaysia’s 4,000km of land and sea borders and 600,000sq km maritime area made international cooperation crucial in tackling drug smuggling, he added.
Saifuddin Nasution said Bukit Aman’s Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department had dismantled drug laboratories involving drugs worth RM5bil as of September.
"Malaysia’s unique geographical position makes it a hub, rather than a producer of drugs," he said.
