Kelantan police warn against illegal river crossings as water levels drop, advising festive travellers to use official border checkpoints.

KOTA BHARU: Police have issued a stern advisory to residents along the Sungai Golok river border with Thailand to use only legal entry points for their Aidilfitri visits.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat expressed serious concern over a potential rise in illegal crossings due to the river’s shallow water levels.

“The shallow river conditions could create opportunities for certain parties to cross illegally, particularly during the festive season,” he said.

He urged the public to comply with the law and use official routes to avoid facing strict enforcement action.

Mohd Yusoff confirmed that police monitoring and enforcement would be intensified at known hotspots for illegal crossings.

He specifically reminded travellers to use authorised Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complexes.

These official checkpoints are located in Rantau Panjang, Pengkalan Kubor and Bukit Bunga.

The warning follows an earlier forecast from border authorities anticipating high traffic volumes.

Rantau Panjang Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency deputy commander Bakri Sulaiman said about 50,000 travellers are expected at the Rantau Panjang ICQS complex.

This figure covers a six-day period spanning three days before and after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

The estimate includes both inbound and outbound movement between Malaysia and Thailand.

 The Sun Malaysia