KOTA BHARU June 13 — Kelantan police have revised patrol schedules along the Malaysia-Thailand border after uncovering attempts by syndicates to study enforcement patterns and duty rosters to facilitate illegal border crossings.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the syndicates were found to be monitoring deployment schedules to identify opportunities to trespass and create passages through barbed-wire fences at illegal crossing points that had previously been dismantled by authorities.
Following the discovery, police held discussions with the General Operations Force (GOF) about two months ago to review existing patrol strategies, including adopting static control measures in certain areas.
“So far, the damage caused by sabotage of the barbed-wire fences has not spread and remains confined to four previously identified locations, all of which have been fully repaired,” he told Bernama recently.
Mohd Yusoff also stressed that the integrity of officers and personnel stationed at border control posts remains at a high level, with no cases of information leakage detected.
However, he said police continue to closely monitor the matter to ensure any form of misconduct remains under constant scrutiny.
“As part of a layered monitoring approach, the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters has established a task force that reports directly to the state police chief to monitor any misconduct related to enforcement duties.
“This special team was formed to provide checks and balances so that management does not rely entirely on units operating on the ground,” he said.
According to him, the task force is headed by an officer with the rank of ACP and operates based on direct instructions from the state police chief.
On border deployment, Mohd Yusoff said the assignment of GOF personnel is fully managed by the Southeast Brigade commander based in Kuantan, Pahang.
He said staff rotations are carried out monthly and involve three battalions – Battalion 7 in Terengganu, Battalion 8 in Pengkalan Chepa and Battalion 9 in Kuantan.
He added that even when Battalion 8 is not on active border duty or is on leave, its intelligence units continue to assist other battalions conducting operations along the border.
Meanwhile, Kelantan police continue to maintain close cooperation with Thai enforcement authorities through regular bilateral meetings.
Mohd Yusoff said the collaboration has yielded positive results, particularly in the sharing and exchange of information involving wanted suspects who flee across the border.
He cited the recent recovery of a vehicle belonging to the Social Welfare Department (JKM) in Tanah Merah that had been stolen and taken into Thailand. Efforts are ongoing to identify another vehicle that was also reported stolen.
In April, a Tanah Merah JKM vehicle stolen by a group of men was found in Sungai Golok.
The vehicle was identified through its registration number, and the four-wheel-drive vehicle is believed to have entered Thailand through the Sungai Golok Customs Checkpoint.
— BERNAMA
