Home Ministry investigates organised crime angle in border shooting targeting a senior enforcement officer, with nine suspects detained.

MACHANG: The Home Ministry is conducting a detailed investigation into a shooting incident targeting a senior border agency commander.

Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the probe is examining multiple angles, including possible organised crime elements.

He stated that for a case to be classified as organised crime, it must meet specific criteria under the Penal Code. This includes the involvement of two or more individuals who benefit, whether through influence or financial gain.

“We are still trying to establish whether they were operating as a group,” he said at a press conference after a community programme here. He clarified that the case has not been formally classified as organised crime yet, as evidence gathering is ongoing.

Police have detained nine individuals so far, comprising eight local men and one foreign woman. A remand order will be applied for the two most recently arrested suspects to assist with further investigations.

Saifuddin said multiple investigative hypotheses are being examined. The main focuses include possible involvement in smuggling goods, human and migrant smuggling, human trafficking, as well as retaliation and threats against enforcement officers.

He did not rule out the possibility that the shooting was an act of revenge by a syndicate. This could be in response to the government’s recent firm action to tighten border controls.

The incident occurred last Wednesday when a vehicle driven by the commander of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency was shot at. The suspect, on a motorcycle, fired two shots from a semi-automatic weapon at the victim’s SUV near the Malaysia-Thailand border.

 The Sun Malaysia