KUCHING: Police will ramp up anti-drug efforts in Sarawak as the state has become a major transit point for narcotics smuggled into Indonesia, said federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Seri Khaw Kok Chin, said.
Khaw said he was told by his Indonesian counterpart that the price of methamphetamines smuggled via Sarawak into Indonesia could go as high as RM450,000 per kg, compared with only RM33,000 in Malaysia.
"This is what motivates syndicates to smuggle the narcotics to Sarawak before sending them to destinations in Kalimantan," he said, after the passing-out parade of 338 women constables who had completed their basic training at the Police Training Center (PULAPOL) in Jalan Puncak Borneo here.
He said the drug trail originates from the "Golden Triangle" straddling the Thai, Lao and Myanmar border, down to Peninsular Malaysia, on to Sarawak before ending in Kalimantan and elsewhere in Indonesia.
Khaw said interdicting the drug shipments was an uphill battle, as the syndicates continually devised new tactics to avoid detection.
Khaw said NCID was working on enhancing the efficiency of its officers in tackling the increasingly complex challenges of stopping drug trafficking.
He said this included educating officers on how to counter new smuggling methods that used advanced technology, like drones and artificial intelligence.
Khaw would not go into details about the police's new tactics to counter drug smuggling.
"If the drug syndicates were to find out about our modus operandi, our efforts will be compromised."
He said police had stepped up inspections at Sarawak's airports and seaports.
One common tactic of the syndicates, he said, was smuggle in drugs via couriers in hand-carry luggage.
"If they managed to avoid detection at peninsula airports, there's no stopping these couriers as there is no more inspection on the arrival in Sarawak."
"Anti-narcotic officers and General Operations Force personnel deployed at airports and seaports would carry out surprise inspections whenever we receive intelligence about trafficking attempts," he added.