Armed guards and regional cooperation being considered

KUALA LUMPUR: Closer cooperation between countries and having armed guards on merchant ships are among ways being considered to improve maritime security.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said countries, especially those in South-East Asia, must enhance cooperation and work together to fight piracy.

“We need to signal to smugglers and pirates that they cannot operate with impunity. Thus, we need to improve intelligence gathering and sharing.

“A database on maritime crime must be put together like the one in Somalia, which enable the authorities to track the culprits as well as the kingpins,” he said after launching the International Meeting on Global Piracy, Armed Robbery and Maritime Security here yesterday.

He added that hiring armed guards on merchant ships would also be a good deterrent as it would show the criminals that the risk is greater than the reward.

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Via: http://www.thestar.com.my/