TUMPAT: More than 10 locations along Pantai Geting’s coast have been identified as smuggling hotspots for illegal immigrants and contraband cigarettes.
Kelantan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director Maritime Captain Erwan Shah Soahdi said the five-kilometre coastal area near the Malaysia-Thailand border serves as a primary smuggling route.
Smugglers favour this area due to its strategic location and dense forest cover that provides hiding spots from patrols.
“The entry of contraband goods and immigrants is usually done at night, but many attempts have been successfully thwarted as a result of continuous patrols since last year,“ he told reporters after a Border Monitoring Operation in Pengkalan Kubor.
The three-hour operation involved 27 MMEA officers and National Security Council personnel covering the South China Sea, Sungai Golok and Sungai Geting.
Erwan Shah revealed smugglers have positioned lookouts around Pulau Tengkorak near Pantai Geting to monitor authority movements.
Kelantan Maritime has proposed installing Sea Surveillance System Remote Sensored Site technology on the east coast to enhance enforcement efficiency.
“With this radar system, it is easier to detect cross-border criminal activities,“ he said.
A four-hectare area on Pulau Tengkorak has been identified as a strategic location for constructing the Pengkalan Kubor Maritime Post.
Kelantan National Security Council director Datuk Mohd A Aruwan Abd Aziz also attended the operation. – Bernama
