Kota Kinabalu: The police forces of Sabah and North Kalimantan (Kaltara), Indonesia, reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation in tackling cross-border crimes.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation to address cross-border crimes, particularly smuggling, saying improved information exchange is crucial in tackling criminal activities affecting both regions.
“Through this reciprocal visit, we aim to enhance the exchange of information to combat crimes involving both regions, namely North Kalimantan and Sabah,” he told a press conference following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the North Kalimantan Regional Police (Polda Kaltara) at the Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK), here, Monday.
The visit was led by Head of North Kalimantan Police Inspector General (Irjen.) Hary Sudwijanto, accompanied by senior officials.
Jauteh said this follows a visit by the Sabah Police Contingent to Kalimantan Utara in February.
Both parties agreed to hold a special meeting in early June in Sabah, focusing on aligning standard operating procedures (SOPs) and strategies to combat cross-border crimes.
“This initiative aims to ensure prompt action when incidents involve suspects or criminal activities crossing the border.
“If a case occurs in Sabah and the suspect flees to Indonesia, we will immediately request assistance from the police in North Kalimantan, and vice versa,” Jauteh said.
The collaboration will focus on tackling key cross-border crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking and smuggling of prohibited items.
The last such initiative was carried out in 2017 when North Kalimantan was part of East Kalimantan Province.
“The current effort marks a new chapter in strengthening law enforcement along the border from Sebatik to Long Pasia,” he said.
Jauteh also called on the media to assist in raising public awareness on the importance of combating cross-border crimes.
