Piracy down, human and drug smuggling up

Crime, crime, crime… will it ever end? Or is it just waiting for the next form to take its shape – yet again?

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KUALA LUMPUR — Human trafficking and drug smuggling have replaced pirate attacks as the leading crime threat off Malaysia's long coastline, a top maritime official said yesterday.

"Piracy has been gradually reduced. But the main challenges (now) are smuggling of humans and there is also the smuggling of drugs," said Admiral Mohamad Amdan Kurish of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency.

"That needs to be checked. Last year we scored a major drug bust, there was an attempt to bring in 200kg of ganja (marijuana) from the Golden Triangle," he said.

The Golden Triangle, second to Afghanistan as Asia's top drug-producing region, straddles the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

Adm Mohamad Amdan attributed the problems to Malaysia's long coastline and extensive mangrove swamps which hamper security patrols and provide smugglers with hideouts to launch their operations.

More than 30 per cent of world trade and half the world's oil shipments pass through the Malacca Strait. AFP

From TODAYOnline.com; see the source article here.