A recent shooting targeting a border agency commander is seen as a calculated warning from smuggling syndicates rattled by intensified enforcement and major seizures.
PETALING JAYA: The recent shooting targeting a commander of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency is likely a calculated act of intimidation by cross-border syndicates unsettled by intensified enforcement at the nation’s entry points.
Criminologist and former KL International Airport immigration operations chief Datuk Shahul Hamid Abdul Rahim said the agency’s stepped-up operations since assuming border control duties have significantly disrupted smuggling networks, increasing the risk of retaliation by organised criminal groups.
“When the agency took over border control duties from several agencies such as Immigration, Customs and police, it began carrying out enforcement operations that have been quite effective.
“There have been multiple seizures and arrests involving smuggling activities at entry points such as Bukit Kayu Hitam and others. Many types of smuggling have been successfully disrupted,” he told theSun.
Such developments, he noted, naturally place pressure on smugglers, who are likely to react when enforcement becomes more aggressive and begins affecting their source of income.
Drawing on his experience, Shahul described the shooting as more of a warning than an assassination attempt.
“In my view, the action taken in this case was more likely intended to intimidate rather than to actually kill. It was meant to send a warning so that enforcement officers would be more cautious in carrying out their duties,” he said.
Agency director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the shooting was believed to be linked to recent enforcement pressure at the border.
He made the remarks after inspecting the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complex on Feb 25.
He disclosed that intensified operations by the 14-month-old agency, including an integrated exercise conducted from Jan 15 to Feb 15, resulted in seizures worth more than RM3.1 million at the Bukit Kayu Hitam complex.
Shahul, who is also president of the Association of Former Immigration Officers of Malaysia said the scale of recent seizures may have further heightened tensions with organised smuggling networks.
“Previously, many arrests involved smaller-scale operations. But when enforcement begins to disrupt larger syndicates involving losses worth millions of ringgit, it becomes a serious threat to these groups.
“That is why they resort to intimidation tactics against enforcement agencies. However, I do not believe this should weaken the agency. Officers should treat this as motivation to continue carrying out their duties professionally and confidently,” he added.
He stressed that the latest incident should serve as a reminder of the need for heightened vigilance at high-risk border points.
“Border smuggling activities have been going on for decades. When enforcement begins to disrupt high-value operations, the reaction from criminal groups becomes more aggressive,” he said.
Shahul also voiced support for arming personnel, stressing that frontline officers must be adequately protected amid escalating operational risks.
“Officers are trained personnel from Immigration, Customs and police. What is important now is to ensure they are sufficiently equipped with firearms and protective gear, especially at high-risk locations.”
The Sun Malaysia
