ISLAMABAD: Malaysia and Pakistan are looking to strengthen operational cooperation and intelligence-sharing to combat increasingly sophisticated transnational drug trafficking networks, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in Facebook Posting

During the second day of his official working visit to Pakistan, Saifuddin visited the headquarters of Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in Islamabad and received a briefing from its Director General, Major General Abdul Moeed, on the latest drug threats, regional trafficking routes and ANF enforcement operations.

Saifuddin said the drug threat had become increasingly complex, particularly with the growing prevalence of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and the involvement of organised transnational criminal networks operating across borders.

He said Pakistan’s strategic location, directly exposed to drug flows originating from Afghanistan, made cooperation with the country particularly important to Malaysia, especially as trafficking routes extend into East and Southeast Asia.

“The threat cannot be addressed solely within national borders or even within the ASEAN region. We need stronger international cooperation to disrupt these networks at every stage of the supply chain,” he said.

Malaysia and Pakistan already have a strong foundation for operational cooperation, with more than 28 cases jointly coordinated between 2012 and 2018.

Saifuddin said Malaysia now wanted to revitalise and strengthen that cooperation through more active intelligence-sharing, coordinated intelligence-led operations, joint training and the exchange of expertise between enforcement agencies from both countries.

The two sides also discussed a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in combating narcotics, which would provide a more structured framework for deepening existing collaboration.

Saifuddin stressed that cooperation between enforcement agencies must go beyond formal agreements and translate into concrete action on the ground.

“In confronting increasingly sophisticated criminal networks, enforcement cooperation cannot remain merely on paper. Information must be shared, intelligence must be turned into action, and international networks must be leveraged to disrupt the supply chain before drugs reach our country,” he said.

He said Malaysia remained committed to strengthening international partnerships to prevent illicit drugs from reaching Malaysian shores and to dismantle the criminal networks behind their trafficking.

Photo Credit – Saifuddin Nasution Ismail Facebook