JAKARTA, May 25 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) and the Indonesian Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) today launched the operation ‘Joint Task Force on Narcotics 2023’ (JTF 2023) to combat cross-border drug trafficking.
Head of the Narcotics Branch of the JKDM Enforcement Division Maznan Harron said the operation will focus on the land crossing route between Sabah and Sarawak bordering Kalimantan, while the sea crossing route will focus on the eastern part of Kalimantan.
“We are taking swift action by cooperating to block cross-country movement as drug trafficking is becoming more dynamic and growing rapidly,” he said after holding the JTF 2023 meeting here.
The five month-long operation starting June 1 allows both two sides to share best practices on border enforcement and share intelligence on drug smuggling activities.
JTF 2023 was launched tion was done by Maznan and Deputy Director of Operations and Disclosure of the DJBC Narcotics Network Prijo Andono at the DJBC headquarters.
Also present were Malaysian Embassy Customs Counselor Ahmad Talib, Senior Assistant Director of Customs 1 JKDM Narcotics Division Yusmi Mohd Yusof and Sarawak JKDM enforcement division chief Suhaimi Yusof.
According to Prijo, the operation also strengthens human resource development and capacity building through physical and virtual training in the field of drug smuggling prevention.
“This close cooperation is expected to save the future generation from being affected by drug trafficking activities,” he said, adding that JKDM will host the closing ceremony of JTF 2023 operations in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in July.
Maznan, who led the delegation, also visited the Customs K-9 Training and Simulation Training building and watched a demonstration of DJBC’s K9 dogs that detect drugs in luggage, clothes and parcels.
The cooperation between the two parties that has been established for a long time has been increased through annual bilateral meetings on a rotating basis in accordance with the ‘Terms of Reference for the Bilateral Meeting between DJBC and JKDM’ signed on June 10, 2009.
— Bernama
