THE crime index for 2021 showed a drop of 19.3% to 52,974 cases, from 65,623 cases in 2020, according to a Malaysian Statistics Department report.

The crime index comprises violent crime and property crime, and both types dropped by 13.4% and 20.8% respectively, to 11,495 cases and 41,479 cases last year.

“Causes that led to lower criminal cases include the movement control order, where social activities were banned along with interstate and inter-district travel,” the report said.

“Stricter enforcement by the authorities and greater public awareness also helped protect against crime.”

The number of commercial crimes reported to the police last year, however, increased by 15.3% to 31,490 cases, from 27,323 cases the year before.

The highest number of cases recorded was for fraud, at 91.6% (28,842 cases) out of a total of 31,490 cases, followed by breach of trust (942), offences under the Moneylenders Act 1951 (847), cybercrime (400) and counterfeiting (204).

The report also stated that the number of drug-related cases reported to the police and arrests in 2021 dropped 1.2% and 11.3% respectively, to 108,220 cases and 129,604 arrests, but the number of drug trafficking arrests rose to 25,277 from 23,536 in 2020.

In addition, the number of investigation papers opened by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency dropped by 3.4% in 2021 to 828 cases, from 857 cases the previous year, while sexual crime cases involving victims aged 18 and below rose 0.9% to 1,481 cases in 2021, from 1,468 cases in 2020.

Traffic offences went up by 166.2% with 14 million summons issued by the police, compared with 5.3 summons in 2020.

For maritime crime, the highest number of arrests reported by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in 2021 involved offences under the Fisheries Act 1985 (575 cases), followed by offences under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 (198 cases) and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Enactment 2002 (178 cases).

The number of children involved in crime dropped by 35.3% to 3,457 cases in 2021, from 5,342 cases in 2020, with a 34.4% reduction for boys, at 3,171 cases, from 4,833 cases in 2020, and 43.8% for girls, with 286 cases, compared with 509 cases in 2020. – Bernama, November 29, 2022.