Latest news with #NikRosAzhan
Daily Express
3 hours ago
- Daily Express
GOF: Illegal crossings persist along Kelantan-Thai border with over 100 active bases detected
Published on: Thursday, July 17, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 17, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the illegal bases are located in the districts of Tumpat, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah, which serve as key routes for unauthorised cross-border activities. — Bernama pic KOTA BHARU: More than 100 illegal bases detected still exist along the Kelantan-Thailand border despite intensified enforcement and the closure of illegal routes since December last year, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the country's border security. General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the illegal bases are located in the districts of Tumpat, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah, which serve as key routes for unauthorised cross-border activities. Advertisement 'The terrain and the proximity of these illegal bases to public settlements make continuous monitoring challenging,' he told Bernama recently. He said that between Jan 1 and July 14 this year, 71 individuals were arrested for illegally crossing the border via Sungai Golok. The group comprised 54 men and 17 women from Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar. All arrests were made under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, involving 42 Malaysians, 26 Thais, two Pakistanis and one Myanmar national. Nik Ros Azhan said most of the arrests took place along the banks of Sungai Golok, which was previously the main route for residents on both sides of the border. 'Although the closure order was issued some time ago, there are still individuals who try to take advantage of these illegal routes without considering the security and legal risks,' he said. He added that some of those detained claimed they only intended to cross briefly to shop, visit relatives, or for leisure, while others were seeking employment in informal sectors such as construction, plantations, and restaurants. In addition, some arrests were related to the smuggling of subsidised goods. Since Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat ordered the closure of illegal jetties and bases in December 2024, residents with relatives across the border have been forced to use the official route through the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex - even for minor matter The move has also impacted boat operators along Sungai Golok, who now face a lack of customers as people are no longer willing to cross the border freely. Nik Ros Azhan emphasised that the GOF, together with other security agencies, will continue to strengthen border control to safeguard the country's sovereignty. 'Anyone wishing to enter the neighbouring country must use legal routes and comply with the established immigration laws,' he said. On July 5, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan reiterated the need for stronger border enforcement through increased manpower, enhanced security assets, and integrated cooperation among all relevant agencies. He added that the presence of numerous illegal routes along the Kelantan-Thailand border remains a serious national security concern. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
GOF: Illegal crossings persist along Kelantan-Thai border with over 100 active bases detected
KOTA BHARU, July 17 — More than 100 illegal bases detected still exist along the Kelantan-Thailand border despite intensified enforcement and the closure of illegal routes since December last year, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the country's border security. General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the illegal bases are located in the districts of Tumpat, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah, which serve as key routes for unauthorised cross-border activities. 'The terrain and the proximity of these illegal bases to public settlements make continuous monitoring challenging,' he told Bernama recently. He said that between Jan 1 and July 14 this year, 71 individuals were arrested for illegally crossing the border via Sungai Golok. The group comprised 54 men and 17 women from Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar. All arrests were made under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, involving 42 Malaysians, 26 Thais, two Pakistanis and one Myanmar national. Nik Ros Azhan said most of the arrests took place along the banks of Sungai Golok, which was previously the main route for residents on both sides of the border. 'Although the closure order was issued some time ago, there are still individuals who try to take advantage of these illegal routes without considering the security and legal risks,' he said. He added that some of those detained claimed they only intended to cross briefly to shop, visit relatives, or for leisure, while others were seeking employment in informal sectors such as construction, plantations, and restaurants. In addition, some arrests were related to the smuggling of subsidised goods. Since Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat ordered the closure of illegal jetties and bases in December 2024, residents with relatives across the border have been forced to use the official route through the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex - even for minor matter The move has also impacted boat operators along Sungai Golok, who now face a lack of customers as people are no longer willing to cross the border freely. Nik Ros Azhan emphasised that the GOF, together with other security agencies, will continue to strengthen border control to safeguard the country's sovereignty. 'Anyone wishing to enter the neighbouring country must use legal routes and comply with the established immigration laws,' he said. On July 5, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan reiterated the need for stronger border enforcement through increased manpower, enhanced security assets, and integrated cooperation among all relevant agencies. He added that the presence of numerous illegal routes along the Kelantan-Thailand border remains a serious national security concern. — Bernama pic
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
GOF detects more than 100 illegal bases in Kelantan
KOTA BARU: More than 100 illegal bases still exist along the Kelantan-Thailand border despite intensified enforcement and the closure of illegal routes since December, raising security concerns. General Operations Force (GOF) South-East Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid (pic) said the illegal bases are located in the districts of Tumpat, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah, which serve as key routes for unauthorised cross-border activities. "The terrain and the proximity of these illegal bases to public settlements make continuous monitoring challenging,' he said when met recently. He said that between Jan 1 and July 14 this year, 71 individuals were arrested for illegally crossing the border via Sungai Golok. The group comprised 54 men and 17 women from Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar. ALSO READ: Illegal border crossings in Kelantan raise serious security concerns, says deputy MB All arrests were made under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, involving 42 Malaysians, 26 Thais, two Pakistanis and one Myanmar national. Nik Ros Azhan said most of the arrests took place along the banks of Sungai Golok, which was previously the main route for residents on both sides of the border. "Although the closure order was issued some time ago, there are still individuals who try to take advantage of these illegal routes without considering the security and legal risks," he said. He added that some of those detained claimed they only intended to cross briefly to shop, visit relatives, or for leisure, while others were seeking employment in informal sectors such as construction, plantations, and food and beverage. In addition, some arrests were related to the smuggling of subsidised goods, he added. Since Kelantan police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat ordered the closure of illegal jetties and bases in December, residents with relatives across the border have been forced to use the official route through the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex, even for minor matters. The move has also impacted boat operators along Sungai Golok, who now face a lack of customers as people are no longer willing to cross the border freely. Nik Ros Azhan stressed that the GOF, together with other security agencies, will continue to strengthen border control to safeguard the country's sovereignty. "Anyone wishing to enter the neighbouring country must use legal routes and comply with immigration laws,' he said. On July 5, Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan reiterated the need for stronger border enforcement through increased manpower, enhanced security assets and integrated cooperation among all relevant agencies. He added that the presence of numerous illegal routes along the Kelantan-Thailand border remains a serious national security concern. – Bernama
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Over 100 illegal bases found along Kelantan-Thailand border
KOTA BHARU: More than 100 illegal bases remain active along the Kelantan-Thailand border despite intensified enforcement efforts and the closure of unauthorised routes since December last year. The General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade commander, Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid, confirmed the presence of these bases in Tumpat, Pasir Mas, and Tanah Merah districts, which serve as key pathways for cross-border violations. 'The terrain and the proximity of these illegal bases to public settlements make continuous monitoring challenging,' he told Bernama. Between January 1 and July 14 this year, 71 individuals were arrested for illegally crossing the border via Sungai Golok. The detainees included 54 men and 17 women from Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, and Myanmar. All arrests were made under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, involving 42 Malaysians, 26 Thais, two Pakistanis, and one Myanmar national. Nik Ros Azhan noted that most arrests occurred along Sungai Golok, previously the main route for border residents. 'Although the closure order was issued some time ago, there are still individuals who try to take advantage of these illegal routes without considering the security and legal risks,' he said. Some detainees claimed they crossed briefly for shopping, visiting relatives, or leisure, while others sought informal employment in construction, plantations, and restaurants. Additionally, some arrests were linked to the smuggling of subsidised goods. Since Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat ordered the shutdown of illegal jetties and bases in December 2024, residents with relatives across the border have been compelled to use the official Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) complex. The stricter enforcement has also affected boat operators along Sungai Golok, who now face declining customers as border crossings are no longer unrestricted. Nik Ros Azhan stressed that the GOF, alongside other security agencies, will continue tightening border control to protect national sovereignty. 'Anyone wishing to enter the neighbouring country must use legal routes and comply with immigration laws,' he said. On July 5, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan called for stronger border enforcement through increased manpower, improved security assets, and better inter-agency coordination. He highlighted that the numerous illegal routes along the Kelantan-Thailand border remain a critical national security issue. - Bernama
Barnama
6 hours ago
- Barnama
GOF Detects Over 100 Illegal Bases; Monitoring Hindered By Terrain, Settlements
KOTA BHARU, July 17 (Bernama) -- More than 100 illegal bases detected still exist along the Kelantan-Thailand border despite intensified enforcement and the closure of illegal routes since December last year, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the country's border security. General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the illegal bases are located in the districts of Tumpat, Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah, which serve as key routes for unauthorised cross-border activities. 'The terrain and the proximity of these illegal bases to public settlements make continuous monitoring challenging,' he told Bernama recently. He said that between Jan 1 and July 14 this year, 71 individuals were arrested for illegally crossing the border via Sungai Golok. The group comprised 54 men and 17 women from Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar. All arrests were made under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, involving 42 Malaysians, 26 Thais, two Pakistanis and one Myanmar national. Nik Ros Azhan said most of the arrests took place along the banks of Sungai Golok, which was previously the main route for residents on both sides of the border. 'Although the closure order was issued some time ago, there are still individuals who try to take advantage of these illegal routes without considering the security and legal risks," he said. He added that some of those detained claimed they only intended to cross briefly to shop, visit relatives, or for leisure, while others were seeking employment in informal sectors such as construction, plantations, and restaurants. In addition, some arrests were related to the smuggling of subsidised goods.
