KOTA KINABALU: The three men abducted in waters off Semporna last night are confirmed to be foreigners.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said the kidnapping victims were among 16 people on board a fishing trawler when it was ambushed by masked gunmen at 10.40pm.
“The abducted crewmembers are Filipino Bajau who hold IMM13 documents and census letters issued by the Special Task Force.
“They have been identified as Loloi Alpin and Sami, both in their 30s, and Masurin, who is in his 50s,” Abdul Rashid said, adding that police are investigating the case under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.
The owner of the fishing vessel lodged a police report at 12.39am after being alerted to the incident.
This latest in a series of kidnapping events in the area took place in waters between Pulau Bodgaya and Pulau Bohey Dulang, off Semporna.
In the incident, seven masked men armed with pistols and M16 rifles stormed the fishing trawler docked between the two islands.
They raided the boat, seizing baggage, hand phones and wallets belonging to the crewmen, said Abdul Rashid.
The gunmen then kidnapped three of the crewmen, including the boat captain, and fled the scene. The victims are believed to have been taken to a neighbouring country.
Following an intensification of security controls at resorts and tourist islands along Sabah’s east coast, kidnappers have begun targeting slow-moving vessels at night.
To further boost security last month, Abdul Rashid made it compulsory for tugboat and fishing trawler owners to install Automatic Identification System (AIS) devices on their vessels.
The device allows security forces to identify vessels at sea during emergencies.