PASIR MAS: The Dec 1 crackdown by the police at all 140 illegal jetties along the border has turned the areas bordering Thailand into a quiet place.
The 140 jetties, which have been called by locals with various names, were located in Tumpat, Tanah Merah, and here.
A majority of them are now left abandoned, and some of them have been covered by bushes.
Villagers claimed that the increased security checks by the border authorities, especially the General Operations Force (GOF), have deterred many locals from using the illegal jetties.
Housewife Azah Mohamad said almost all the popular jetties used by locals, including government servants, to go to Sungai Golok town were abandoned.
"A majority of these jetties, especially those in Rantau Panjang, were set up between residents' homes but close to the Golok riverbank.
"For example, the Che Husin illegal jetty here. It is famous among locals, government servants, and even police personnel.
"This jetty was used by the three policemen caught going for a night out in the border town last month. Now, it is like a haunted place," said the 38-year-old from Pekan Rantau Panjang.
The mother of two said the news of the policemen's arrests and the continued crackdown on border crossings using illegal jetties had scared many people.
The Che Husin illegal jetty was among more than 70 illegal jetties set up by smugglers in the Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas areas.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the GOF personnel have been told to conduct regular surveillance along these jetties.
"This is to ensure no one dares to enter Kelantan via the route illegally. I also believe almost all the active jetties have been abandoned," he added.
On Dec 4, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the three Kelantan-based policemen had been transferred after being caught visiting an entertainment outlet in Sungai Golok town.
He confirmed that the cops, aged 26 to 32, had partied at the venue.
He added one of them has been reassigned to a different department, while the other two will be transferred out of the state police contingent.