The government said Friday it would intensify security on its northern border and in territorial waters off Sabah and Sarawak in order to check arms smuggling.

A defence ministry spokesman told AFP the armed forces would work together with immigration and police to patrol "problem areas" such as the border with Thailand.

Police from the southern Thai province of Satun recently made major weapons hauls and arrested many suspects in a series of interceptions of smuggled arms shipments bound for rebel armies in countries such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Early this week, police in Penang, not far from the Thai border, seized a cache of weapons after busting a gun-running syndicate.

But the ministry official played down fears that arms smuggling could affect Malaysia's own security.

"Smuggling activities are heavily monitored at all our borders, especially at the northern territory, so there is no need for unecessary alarm," he said.

"This move is just an extra precaution."

The government had announced earlier in July that it would deploy three locally made spy planes next month to increase surveillance in coastal areas of Sabah. — AFP