Kelantan police chief says complex money flow tracking and rising caseloads strain commercial crime investigators, with charge rates below 10%
KOTA BHARU: Commercial crime investigations are becoming increasingly complex due to the need to trace money flows, verify bank accounts and coordinate with financial institutions, placing growing pressure on investigators, said Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat.
He said that although the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had redeployed personnel from other departments to the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK), the department continued to face challenges in coping with the growing workload.
“Sometimes, personnel who have served in the commercial crime division for a long time also feel pressured due to the complexity of the investigations,” he told Bernama recently.
Mohd Yusoff said the steady increase in commercial crime cases had resulted in a growing number of investigation papers, many of which were becoming more difficult to resolve.
He said the prosecution process remained challenging despite good cooperation from financial institutions and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“The charge rate for commercial crime cases in Kelantan is still below 10 per cent, resulting in some investigation papers remaining open and kept in storage pending further developments,” he said.
“At the same time, new cases continue to emerge, placing a heavy burden on investigating officers,” he said.
Mohd Yusoff said performance evaluations or key performance indicators (KPIs) for resolving commercial crime cases should take into account factors beyond the control of investigating officers.
“There are cases that require action or decisions from other agencies before investigations can be completed, affecting the overall case resolution rate,” he said.
Meanwhile, he urged local authorities (PBT) in Kelantan to expand the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in public areas to strengthen public safety and support crime prevention and investigation efforts.
He said comprehensive CCTV coverage, including at traffic light junctions and public gathering spots, was an important element of the Safe City concept and could help police identify suspects and track their movements.
“Local authorities in Kelantan still lack awareness of the need for comprehensive CCTV installation. Under the Safe City concept, adequate lighting and CCTV coverage are among the key requirements,” he said.
Mohd Yusoff said although CCTV footage was not always used as primary evidence in court, it played a crucial role in investigations by providing leads to identify and apprehend suspects.
He said more than 80 per cent of arrests in the state were aided by CCTV footage. However, limited camera coverage in public areas often forced investigating officers to seek footage from premises and residential owners.
He said wider CCTV deployment would not only enhance security but also reduce the need for patrols and optimise manpower utilisation.
Drawing on a study visit to Sydney, Australia in 2013, Mohd Yusoff said the city’s extensive CCTV network enabled monitoring to be carried out from a central control centre, reducing the need for physical patrols.
