Malaysia not resting on its laurels against kidnapping threats from southern Philippines
Troops ensure transborder criminals including kidnappers do not abuse fishermen's pump boats.
SABAH: Malaysia is not resting on its laurels against kidnapping threats from the southern Philippines despite a lull in abduction cases in the past three years.
A Malaysian security agency overseeing a Borneo region bordering the southern Philippines have recently intensified their patrols against transborder crime including maritime kidnapping.
A maritime operation dubbed Ops Gasak Laut or Maritime Offensive Ops was carried out in the Malaysian state of Sabah’s east coast waters Tuesday to curb illegal pump boats often used by fishermen and transborder criminals alike, including kidnappers from the southern Philippines, smugglers and robbers.
The integrated operation saw the inspection of 13 pump boats and 26 individuals, said the chief of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), Victor Sanjos, in a statement.
“Five pump boats were seized and handed over to the Sabah Ports and Harbour Department and five illegal immigrants were detained and handed over to the Immigration Department for further action,” he said.
He said Esscom is taking crime, particularly kidnapping, in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone or Esszone seriously.
“I take this matter very seriously and this operation which aims at large-scale inspections, catching and disposing of unlicensed pump boats, are our efforts to paralyse crossborder criminal activities,” he said.
Victor said he believes that the presence of security forces in a coordinated manner will create an element of deterrence to ensure the safety of Sabah.
Ops Gasak Laut involved 96 members of state and federal agencies.
The Sulu and Celebes Seas shared by Malaysia and the Philippines were once a hotbed of maritime kidnapping by the notorious Abu Sayyaf terror and criminal group (ASG).
The last kidnapping, of Indonesian fishermen by the ASG, occurred in January 2020.