Two General Operations Force (PGA) personnel were injured, with one requiring two stitches to the head, after they were allegedly hit by a vehicle driven by a former convict believed to be involved in smuggling undocumented migrants in Kampung Chat, Pulau Besar, on Saturday.
The incident occurred at around 8pm, when the two Lance Corporals, aged 34 and 29, were conducting Op Taring Wawasan and spotted a suspicious Proton Preve.
The 34-year-old officer said they positioned their vehicle across the road to stop the Proton before he got out and opened the driver’s door to carry out an inspection.
He said the suspect suddenly reversed the vehicle at high speed, almost running over both officers.
“I managed to grab hold of the suspect’s steering wheel and pull out the car key.
“That caused the vehicle to stop and we managed to detain the suspect,” he said when met at Pengkalan Kubor on Tuesday.
The officer suffered cuts to his calf and leg, while his 29-year-old colleague was injured after falling while trying to avoid the reversing vehicle.
“I fell and injured my knee. It was a tense situation because everything happened so quickly,” the younger officer said.
He suffered a head injury that required two stitches, as well as injuries to his elbow and knee. He said it was the second time he had encountered a similar situation during an operation, following an earlier incident in Jeli.
A subsequent inspection of the Proton found six Myanmar women aged between 20 and 25, who are believed to have been smuggled into Malaysia through Thailand.
The local male suspect, 34, who was allegedly acting as a migrant smuggling agent, was arrested along with the six women for further investigation.
Police checks found that the suspect had 15 previous records, mostly involving drug-related offences, as well as two records involving rape and domestic violence. He had also been released from prison just five days before the incident.
An initial urine screening found the suspect tested positive for drugs, with police believing he may have been under the influence of an illicit substance when he allegedly acted aggressively towards the PGA personnel.
The suspect is being investigated under Section 353 of the Penal Code for using criminal force against public servants.
The case is also being investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM), Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 15(1) of the same Act.
The migrants are believed to have entered Malaysia from a neighbouring country via Sungai Golok before travelling along the Kelantan River and being intercepted at the location.
