RECENTLY, four illegal immigrants attempt at entering Malaysia had been thwarted by the Bukit Aman Air Operations Drone Unit.
They were using a route at the Abe Yie illegal jetty in Rantau Panjang.
Aged between six and 43, they and a local man aged 50 attempted to escape, but was apprehended by the 9th Battalion of the General Operations Force (PGA) from Kuala Terengganu.
The four Thai nationals came without valid travel documents. What made the arrest special was that it was done with the aid of a drone.
On a similar vein, defence analyst Zaki Salleh stated that the success of using drones to assist authorities in apprehending illegal immigrants crossing the Golok River should be expanded, particularly in critical areas or blind spots.
“The use of drones is not just about being ‘eyes in the sky’, it also facilitates border control without needing additional personnel,” he said.
Zaki stated that drones complement ground surveillance tasks because areas that are difficult for personnel to access can be monitored remotely.
“For example, to monitor the borders at night, we need high-tech drones with zoom capabilities, high-resolution visual cameras, and clear night-time imaging,” he said.
He further explained that the drone systems in use play a significant role in national security and defence. —Dec 9, 2024
Main image: bernama
