SEPANG: The procurement of 40 cutting-edge baggage scanning machines, amounting to RM40.72 million, will strengthen security controls at the main entry points across the country, said Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin.
She said the scanners, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, can enhance detection capabilities in scanning of passengers' goods and baggage, thereby addressing the smuggling of taxable and prohibited items, including drugs.
"A total of 40 scanners were installed across the country in May and June.
"These machines provide accurate data, allowing for quick and precise identification," she told reporters after the launch of a scanning machine by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan here today.
This, she said, would assist the department in reducing leakages and increasing revenue.
She said the new machines will enhance the department's capabilities in identification and image analysis, allowing for a more efficient examination of smuggling trends of prohibited goods, especially drugs.
Anis Rizana said the acquisition process for the scanning machines has been improved by opting for rentals rather than direct purchases as done previously.
She said the process covers maintenance costs, ensuring that damaged machines are promptly repaired, thereby enhancing overall efficiency.
In addition, she stated that the scanning machines are equipped with a dual-view, dual-energy system that facilitates the inspection of both hand-held baggage and small checked luggage.
Anis Rizana explained that the dual-view machines can display images from two angles: side and top views.
She said the installation of 40 new baggage scanning machines has brought the total number of scanners in operation at entry points throughout Malaysia to 66 units, with a total procurement value of RM84.30 million.
Since the new scanning machines became operational, the department has detected several cases through the analysis of scanned images by officers on duty, she said.
She said department officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Mail and Courier Centre uncovered eight cases involving seizure of ganja and bliss cannabis worth RM577,625.20.
Also, the department foiled an attempt to bring in cash totalling RM65,160.00 and 5.252 kg of heroin, valued at RM492,375.00, through the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex in Padang Besar, Perlis, in two separate incidents in June and August, she said.
She said the department is in the process of gradually replacing obsolete scanners with new, more sophisticated, high-tech models.
"More scanning machines will be installed at identified strategic locations this year and next year," she said.
Anis Rizana said it has acquired body scanners utilising Terahertz wave technology, which can detect items hidden on or inside passengers' bodies, including explosives and weapons.
She said the technology facilitates faster inspections, allowing passengers to pass through the machine without pausing, thereby speeding up their movement at KLIA Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.– BERNAMA