JERANTUT: Safeguarding the country's rare earth element (REE) and mineral deposit sites in the forest is the latest area of focus under Op Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK) operations across the country this year.
Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said OBK will no longer be restricted to curbing the issues of encroachment and theft of national forest products and wildlife but now expanded to such sites.
"REE is our latest focus as we need to protect the highly valuable national treasure which includes gold and mineral deposits.
"Everyone is talking about REE and mineral deposits so the enforcement agencies have to be on their toes. We work along with other agencies including police, Immigration Department and Customs Department to conduct surveillance and nab the offenders," he said.
Kadir was speaking at the at Kuala Tahan National Park at a joint press conference together with Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and Customs Department deputy director-general (enforcement and compliance) Ribuan Abdullah after an OBK meeting here.
He said, in June this year, the OBK enforcement members foiled gold mining activities near the Kelantan national park and detained four foreigners along with two locals believed to be the masterminds behind the illegal activity.
"We seized heavy machinery and mining equipment worth RM700,000. They have been operating between four and five months before we raided the site.
"The foreigners were hired to set up the tents, operate the machines and carry out the mining work while the locals were their 'taukes' (bosses)," he said.
Meanwhile, he said between January and September this year, a total of 170 Malaysians and 51 foreigners have been arrested for various offences in OBK raids, resulting in seizures totalling RM122.5 million.
"Our investigations also revealed some of the foreigners from Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia are involved in poaching activities on a part-time basis. They enter the country with valid documents and have full time jobs... they go into the forest during the weekends to set up wildlife traps," he said.