SECURITY AGENCIES INTENSIFY ASSET DEPLOYMENT TO PREVENT ILLEGALS ENTERING SANDAKAN WATERS

6 NOV 2020

SANDAKAN: Illegals entering Malaysian waters via Sandakan may now have to think twice as the security agencies here have intensified the deployment of assets under the operation codenamed ‘Operasi Cegah PATI’ (OCP).

Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) chief of staff (sea operations) Admiral (M) Hamid Mohd Amin commended the commitment shown by the security agencies based in Sandakan in carrying out the operation aimed at preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Each of the main security agencies has added one or two assets to patrol the waters 24 hours a day until the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a threat to this country.

“It is a challenge for our nine officers and 86 men in Sandakan to guard the country’s waters in the midst of a global pandemic, but these men have shown that they are brave and committed in carrying out their duties, resulting in a very small number of attempts made by the illegals to cross our border,” he said when met during an operation at sea here.

According to Hamid, there had only been seven attempts to enter Malaysian waters involving 134 illegals since the operation was launched on June 12 in Sandakan or known as the northern frontier of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).

To avoid contact with passengers possibly carrying the COVID-19 virus, all the boats ferrying the illegals were ordered on the spot to return to their country, he added.

According to Hamid, the Sandakan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) which coordinates the northern frontier operation has deployed four boats and a ship while the Marine Police Force (PPM) have four boats and two ships.

The Royal Malaysian Navy through its Naval Region Base 2 (Mawilla 2) here had recently added two CB90 assault craft besides a naval ship and auxiliary ship ‘Tun Azizan’, which is equipped with radar and positioned at the closest point to the Malaysia-Philippine border, about 18 nautical miles from mainland Sandakan, he said.

He said the operation is also joined in by the Joint Task Force (ATB) 2 with two Quick Reaction Force (QRF) boats and a radar system, while drones were also used to gather further information on cross border attempts.

Meanwhile, ESSCom chief of staff (land operations) SAC M Chandra said nine hotspots on the mainland and one on an island had been identified as landing points for illegals and smuggling activities.

He said as of yesterday (Nov 5), the OCP on land, which began on Oct 7, had seen checks done on 1,303 individuals, of which 14 were arrested for being involved in drug addiction and cigarette smuggling, where 46 cartons of cigarettes worth RM57,000 and RM7,000 in cash as well as a vehicle and a motorcycle were seized.

Chandra said the land operation involved 70km of Sandakan’s coastline, which has a total of 34 villages with around 11,000 residents.

He said the sea operation launched four months prior to the one on land had brought relief to the villagers, especially in hotspots such as Kampung Sungai Daling Luboh here.

The village’s security and development committee (JKKK) chairman Jafaruddin Nurudin said villagers were pleased and relieved with the presence of the security forces at the village, which had long been a landing point for illegal immigrants who had no respect for the villagers there.

“This OCP is effective because there has not been any arrival of illegals via the Sungai Daling Luboh jetty, which had left villagers always feeling anxious before the OCP was launched.

“We would be very honoured if this operation could be continued, and for that, we are ever willing to provide a house for the use of the security forces on duty here,” he said, adding that Kampung Sungai Daling Luboh had 114 houses with 684 residents. - Bernama