KUCHING: From January to Oct 15 this year the Sarawak Brigade General Operation Force (GOF ) have seized smuggled items worth a total of RM12,069,683.
The items were seized from a total of 61 cases achieved through Op Awas, Op Batas and Op Libas that were carried out.
Sarawak Police Commissioner CP Dato’ Azman Bin Yusof said yesterday statistics since 2016 showed that in 2016 it exceeded more than RM10 million, and then in 2017 it was RM7 million and now (2018), thus far it has exceeded more than RM12 million.
According to him, such achievement means something to the government.
“ If we make an analysis, why these things are happening in Sarawak in cases involving evasion of taxes and so on, it is because our borders are very wide and open,” he said.
“So in this matter what I have stressed to the Sarawak Brigade GOF commander is to give more focus in controlling the borders.
“So in this matter I hope the efforts to increase security control along the Sarawak borders and also to combat smuggling especially on drugs and firearms and also other contraband goods are continued,” he told a press conference during a working visit to the Sarawak Brigade General Operation Force (GOF) headquarters at Batu Kawa here yesterday.
When asked whether additional GOF personnel would be deployed near the Malaysian and Indonesia borders in view that the Pan Borneo Highway from Sematan to Telok Melano is almost completed, and is near to the border, Sarawak GOF Commander SAC Dato’ Khaw Kok Chin who was also present at the press conference, said the matter would be brought up in the meeting of State Operation Planning Committee which is co-chaired by the State Police Chief and his Army counterpart.
“So that will be one of the topics to be discussed. And if there is a need we will study, review the need, then we will make suggestions for additional personnel.
“The matter is being studied and it is not just the area mentioned but other overall areas as well. Because as the CP said that the Sarawak border is very wide, and if we focus on one area, we also have to pay attention to other areas.
“If possible we don’t want any overlapping issues between the army and the police especially GOF, he said. So the most important thing in the meeting is to have mutual understanding on which areas personnel are to be deployed at strategic posts.
“We do have plans to have additional patrolling posts but all decisions have to be made at the State Operation Planning Committee meeting. Certainly, we have plan, especially with the Pan Borneo Highway and so on, matters related to border security, we are always alert,” he said.
Meanwhile, as of 15 October this year, the number of illegal immigrants arrested were 249 males and 74 females.
Under Op Libas, various items such timbers, sawn timbers, vehicles, boats/vessels, tractors, diesel, sugar, cigarettes, firecrackers, liquor, and other items worth RM10,166,820 were confiscated as of October 2018.
