Police expect at least 50 illegal bases along the Golok River on the Kelantan–Thailand border to be demolished by the end of this month, as enforcement efforts continue to clamp down on unlawful cross-border activities.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said 25 illegal bases in the Tanah Merah and Pasir Mas districts have already been dismantled since last month.
“With about two weeks remaining, we expect another 20 illegal bases to be demolished by month’s end. So far, there have been no attempts to rebuild the dismantled jetties, but continuous monitoring will be carried out to prevent them from being re-established,” he said at a press conference after the December monthly assembly at the Kelantan Police Contingent Headquarters today.
Mohd Yusoff also revealed that police had detected information leaks related to the demolition operations, resulting in rafts previously stationed on the Kelantan side being moved across the river into Thailand.
He said the closure of illegal crossing points since December 2024 has led to a significant drop in cross-border crime. Prior to the crackdown, up to 500 people crossed the border daily using these routes, with vehicles often lining the border area.
“Currently, only about 10 per cent of those continue to defy the closure and use illegal bases,” he said.
On migrant smuggling, Mohd Yusoff said syndicates operating through ungazetted routes were successfully disrupted through joint enforcement operations conducted between January and November this year.
During the period, police carried out 199 raids involving migrant smuggling, harbouring of migrants, and illegal border crossings. As a result, 50 investigation papers were opened under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, leading to the arrest of 70 skippers and 332 migrants.
For offences involving the harbouring of migrants under the Immigration Act, 54 investigation papers were opened, with 53 individuals and 214 migrants arrested. Another 27 investigation papers were recorded for illegal border crossings, resulting in the arrest of 35 individuals, including 29 locals and six Thai nationals aged between 17 and 74.
Police will continue to strengthen border security, particularly along illegal routes, through cooperation with other enforcement agencies and information-sharing with the Thai Police, Mohd Yusoff added.
