TUMPAT: Many smugglers operating along the Kelantan-Thailand border have been detained repeatedly by the General Operations Force (GOF), with some arrested up to four times in a single year.
Its Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said that the brigade's battalions, which patrol over 50km of the border in Kelantan, made this observation during their operations codenamed Op Taring Wawasan.
"The persistence of these smugglers can be attributed to various factors, including poverty and life pressures.
"Many individuals involved in smuggling, particularly those dealing in goods, told GOF personnel that they are compelled to engage in these activities due to economic hardships. Most arrested claim this is their means of survival," he said.
Ros Azhan said that a significant number of arrested suspects were repeat offenders, often apprehended three to four times within the year.
"Those frequently caught have indicated that they have no other job options and have been involved in smuggling since childhood," he said.
"Most of the arrested individuals are between 20 and 40 years old, and many use the same vehicles repeatedly. These smugglers seem unafraid of the country's laws and do not view their arrests or fines as deterrents."
He said that when apprehended, they often paid the fines and returned to their smuggling activities, primarily involving subsidised or contraband goods, rather than engaging in the more serious crime of human trafficking.
Ros Azhan also said that the GOF recorded 1,265 smuggling cases from January to last month, resulting in the seizure of goods valued at RM61.4 million.
During this period, 718 individuals were arrested for possession of smuggled items.