SANDAKAN: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) has identified illegal immigrants who act as informants for cross-border criminal group in the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone).
Its commander Datuk Hazani Ghazali said no arrest had been made yet but neither would he divulge their numbers due to security factors.
“We are actively monitoring movement of these identified illegal immigrants and will take further action,” he said at a press conference after a dialogue with Pulau Jampiras fishing community here today.
Hazani also said Esscom had received information revealing that firearms were being smuggled into the state’s east coast but noted no arrest had been made since he took over the commander post in 2017.
He expressed concern as Sabah has been described as a transit point for foreign terrorists, who move between the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
He stressed on the need to continue forming strong ties with the two neighbouring countries and share intelligence among the country’s security agencies to curb trans-boundary intrusions.
Meanwhile, Hazani said their visit to Pulau Jampiras was to change the public perception that the island was a “black area”.
“We want to show the island is peaceful and that Jampiras community supports the security forces to protect the security we enjoy today,” he said, while urging the Esszone community to continue channelling information to the security forces.