KUALA LUMPUR: The frequency of access, busy traffic and high economic interaction between people at the Malaysia-Thailand border provides opportunities for smuggling activities, including bringing in firearms into the country, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said these were among the factors that resulted in crimes where firearms were used in Malaysia.

"From January 2010 to August 2012, a total of 202 cases of robberies where firearms were used were reported while for murders it was 130 cases.

"During the same period, there were a total of 435 cases where police successfully seized firearms," he said when replying to a question from Fong Ko Puan (DAP-Batu Gajah) in the Dewan Rakyat here today.

Hishammuddin said family relationships and geographical factors such as at  Sungai Golok along the Malaysia-Thailand border also enabled a network to be established for smuggling activities.

He added that the police, Anti-Smugging Unit (UPP), the  Customs Department, Immigration Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and related agencies were stepping up efforts to curb the menace.

- Bernama