During coordinated operations held in Semporna and Kunak on Wednesday (Oct 25), the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) detained five individuals and seized 17 pump boats. Esscom commander Datuk Victor Sanjos stated that the purpose of the operations, known as Op Gasak Laut Pambot (OGL Pambot) in Semporna and the integrated operation in Kunak, was to combat crimes such as the misuse of pump boats, illegal entry, smuggling, robbery, fish bombing, and drug abuse.
The operations involved 210 officers and personnel from various enforcement agencies and local authorities.
“During the OGL Pambot operation in Semporna, inspection was carried out on 18 pump boats and 17 individuals in the coastal areas which serve as entry points to Semporna town,” said Sanjos.
He further added, “Three individuals were identified as illegal immigrants from the Philippines and are now under the custody of the Immigration Department. One pump boat owner was fined, and the seized 17 pump boats have been handed over to the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department in Semporna for disposal.”
In the Kunak operation, 115 individuals were inspected in areas designated as hotspots for cross-border criminals to transit and for illegal presence, Sanjos announced.
Among the individuals inspected, two were detained by the Kunak police narcotics crime investigation division for the possession of 0.20 grammes of syabu, he added.
Sanjos emphasized that the objective of these operations to seize and dispose of unlicensed pump boats is to impede cross-border criminal activities, particularly smuggling and attempts by illegal immigrants to enter the country.
