KOTA BHARU, Aug 7 — The closure of illegal bases along the Malaysia-Thailand border has significantly disrupted the movement and transit networks of smuggling syndicates, contributing to a sharp decline in smuggling cases detected in Kelantan.
Kelantan Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) director Hanif Yusabra Yusof said shutting down the illegal routes had made it more difficult for syndicates to carry out smuggling activities by restricting their access and transit points.
"When compared with the period before the illegal bases were closed, the decline in the number of smuggling cases detected and arrests made is very significant.
"When smuggling routes are closed, enforcement agencies are able to exercise better control, making enforcement operations more effective," he told Bernama recently.
Hanif Yusabra said the KPDN has also intensified border enforcement through the static deployment of personnel at petrol stations, alongside continuous patrols under its routine operations.
He said enforcement operations are conducted seven days a week, with a focus on border areas to curb the leakage and smuggling of controlled goods, particularly subsidised fuel.
Commenting on Thailand's proposal to build a fort along the border, Hanif Yusabra welcomed the move, saying it was expected to strengthen cross-border security and further hamper the movement of smuggling syndicates.
Meanwhile, a recent Bernama survey in Sungai Golok, Narathiwat, found that the sale of petrol and diesel believed to have been smuggled from Malaysia has declined compared with the period before the closure of the illegal border bases.
Previously, smuggled fuel was readily available for sale at several locations in the town.
The survey found that while some traders were still selling petrol and diesel in bottles and plastic drums at several locations, the quantities were much smaller and the fuel was no longer sold as openly as before.
It also found that most locations previously believed to have served as transit points and illegal fuel sales sites were deserted, highlighting the impact of the closure of illegal bases on the cross-border smuggling supply chain.
