Malaysia’s marine police nab 2,707, record 7,627 cases in national waters this year

PORT KLANG, Malaysia — The Marine Police Force (PPM) has apprehended a record 2,707 individuals in 7,627 criminal cases within the nation's waters during the first nine months of the year. Director of the Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department, Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, attributed this success to continuous enforcement through various operations like Op Taring Gelora and Op Taring Landai.

In the period from January to September, the team confiscated assets and imposed fines totaling RM525 million, primarily due to violations of the Fisheries Act 1985 (3,214 cases), Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (428), Control of Supplies Control Act 1961 (295), Immigration Act 1959/63 (213), Customs Act 1967 (189), and the ATIPSOM Act 2007 (213).

Effective bilateral cooperation and coordination with regional enforcement agencies such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines played a crucial role in this success. Mohd Yusri also noted the challenge of illegal immigrant smuggling, which involves various methods to infiltrate the country, with a focus on international waters around Perak, Selangor, Johor, and the northern Peninsula.

The PPM has 22 projects under the Malaysia Plan, with a total cost of RM1.064 billion, and plans to invest an additional RM2.28 billion in future strategic projects, including the construction of new operational bases. The force will also receive two aircraft carriers and five Fast Patrol Crafts, each valued at RM100 million, to enhance its capabilities in safeguarding the country's waters.