THE police is thoroughly investigating whether the Malaysians arrested in Thailand for smuggling firearms was involved with an organised crime syndicate or acting as a 'transporter'.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said they had received a full briefing from the police regarding the case.
He said the arrests were made in Thailand as a result of close cooperation between the authorities of both countries, whether at the government-to-government (G2G) or police-to-police (P2P) level.
"The arrests were made in Thailand because we have good relations between Malaysia and Thailand. Since the arrests were made there, the Thai authorities will conduct a full investigation.
"Normally, they will also inform us of the progress of the case. At the same time, we have been profiling (collecting detailed information) on the individuals involved to get a clearer picture," he said.
Saifuddin said that initial investigations have so far found that the suspect has no links to any major criminal group or organised network.
“We have confirmed that he is a Malaysian and the arrest also involved firearms and ammunition. This proves that this issue is serious and needs to be dealt with carefully.
“We will investigate to find out who the real network is behind the smuggling attempt,” he said.
Previously, the media reported that a 42-year-old Malaysian man was arrested in Danok, Sadao, Thailand last Saturday after the national police found two M16 rifle barrels and 450 rounds of ammunition hidden in his car.
The suspect reportedly admitted to receiving RM10,000 to smuggle the weapons into Malaysia. - September 5, 2025
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