KUCHING: The First Infantry Division plans to relocate its 31st Brigade camp to Bakun in the near future.

First Infantry Division commander Major General Datuk Dzulkafli Mustaffa said the 31st Brigade is currently still based in Sibu.

“We have plans in the near future that the brigade camp will be most probably relocated to Bakun and planning is currently all still in the pipeline,” he said after officiating at the 54th First Infantry Division anniversary at Penrissen Camp, yesterday.

He said Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) is currently awaiting state government approval to start a forward operating base (FOB) in Bakun.

“It’s crucial to have a company in Bakun to look after Bakun, which is part of the essential installations, and it is necessary to have the military to look after Bakun, and that is the main focus,” he said.

Under the First Infantry Division there are the Third Brigade (Penrissen Camp), Ninth Brigade (Rascom, Sibu), and 31st Brigade (Junaco Park, Sibu).

Meanwhile, on security along the Sarawak-Indonesia border, he said major operations such as Ops Awas, Ops Keris Parang, Ops Jaga Kawal, and the latest Ops Benteng have seized about RM2.54 million worth of goods being smuggled in and out of the state.

He said most of the illegal activities occurred at the border near Biawak in Lundu.