TUMPAT, Oct 11 — The police arrested 718 individuals in Kelantan for smuggling various types of raw materials from January to September this year, with a total seizure value of RM61.4 million.

Brigade Commander of the Southeast General Operations Force, Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid, said the high statistics and seizure value indicate that smuggling activities are still ongoing.

He said despite the authorities’ commitment to ensuring the nation’s borders remain free from any cross-border criminal activities, these actions continue to occur.

"There have been cases where individuals have been arrested four times within a year.

"We believe there are certain families involved in these activities despite knowing they are illegal,” he told reporters in Pengkalan Kubor yesterday.

Nik Ros Azhan said smuggling activities are driven by geographical factors in border areas, which provide opportunities for smuggling syndicates to operate actively. — Bernama