31-1-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Several Filipino individuals suspected of having ties to the militant group Abu Sayyaf (ASG) were arrested in Semporna and Kunak, near here, through multiple operations conducted by authorities throughout last year.
Datuk Victor Sanjos, the Commander of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), stated that all the suspects were believed to be in the country illegally after fleeing from their home country due to pressure from operations carried out by Philippine authorities.
However, he did not disclose the identities of the suspects.
“The success of the subsequent arrests was the result of operations conducted by ESSCOM in collaboration with various parties including the Sabah and Bukit Aman police contingents, as well as the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritime Malaysia). All suspects were detained under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act and have been deported to their home country after serving their sentences here,” he said during an interview at his office today.
Meanwhile, Victor stated that as a result of assessments targeting counter-terrorism conducted by the Special Branch of Bukit Aman, 13 individuals were listed as wanted, believed to have connections to militant activities and cross-border crimes.
“ESSCOM continues to monitor the threats and activities of these individuals from entering the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) area,” he said during an interview at his office yesterday.
Victor mentioned that since the establishment of ESSCOM, the agency has been curbing the movements of militants such as ASG and kidnapping-for-ransom groups in Sabah’s land and maritime areas through several special integrated operations.
This success was achieved through the sharing of intelligence information with Philippine and Indonesian authorities.
“Since 2015, a total of 20 ASG members have been killed in shootouts, while 17 ASG or KFRG members have been arrested. In addition, from 2014 to 2018, a total of 12 attempted kidnappings, robberies, and raids have been thwarted, with the last kidnapping occurring on January 14, 2020,” he said.
Victor added that out of the total kidnappings, 43 hostages have been released for ransom, while eight have been rescued by Philippine authorities.
“Relatively, the ESS zone remains stable without any kidnapping incidents occurring since February 2020 until December 2023,” he said.
