BUKIT KAYU HITAM, July 1- The Home Ministry plans to turn the Anti-Smuggling Unit (UPP) into the country’s leading anti-smuggling enforcement agency, said its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the proposal had been submitted to the National Security Council for further action.
“I will ensure that this process will become a reality and will be expedited so that UPP personnel can be deployed nationwide as soon as possible,” he said when launching the 37th UPP anniversary at the Bukit Kayu Hitam UPP Complex here, yesterday.
He said the UPP had played a big role and score major successes in combating smuggling despite the presence of other enforcement agencies along the border of the country.
In 2011, the agency seized contraband worth RM37 million from over 15,000 operations so far this year compared to RM29 million from 17,526 operations in the corresponding period last year, he said, adding that the agency also arrested 664 illegal immigrants so far this year.
Speaking to reporters later, he said the UPP planned to deploy its personnel to Sabah and Sarawak to rid ‘lorong tikus’ (backdoor smuggler routes) and he would discuss the matter with Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
“During my tenure as defence minister, I noticed that ‘lorong tikus’, which were used to smuggle subsidised goods from Malaysian, especially cooking gas, cooking oil, petroleum products and food items, were mushrooming in both states,” he added.
– BERNAMA
