KUALA LUMPUR: The police Internal Security and Public Order Department's crackdown on smuggling this year has netted nearly RM1 billion in seizures.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said these included seizures from wildlife trafficking cases.
He said 136 wildlife trafficking cases were solved, resulting in the arrest of 387 people and over RM434 million in seizures across several operations led by the Wildlife Crime Bureau and Special Intelligence Investigation Unit.
These operations were carried out in collaboration with the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and the United Nations Development Programme.
"These operations aimed to combat wildlife crime and conserve iconic animal species, especially the Malayan tiger in Peninsular Malaysia, the banteng in Sabah, and the orangutan in Sarawak," he said at the department's monthly assembly today.
Razarudin said the General Operations Force has also been effective in combating smuggling, with seizures worth RM279 million recorded this year.
"The Federal Reserve Unit also conducted 34 raids and made a number of arrests and seizures worth RM37.1 million, while the Marine Police recorded 7,103 cases involving RM210 million in seizures," he said.
Meanwhile, Razarudin said the Public Safety Index, part of the Malaysian People's Well-Being Index, declined from 129.3 points in 2022 to 127.6 points last year.
"The decrease is attributed to a rise in road accidents and an increase in the crime rate," he said.
At the event, Razarudin also congratulated 51 members of the force awarded certificates by the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for rejecting bribes.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay and Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim were also in attendance.