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KOTA KINABALU: Security forces on the east coast have stepped up their operations against illegal immigrants trying to sneak into Sabah via backdoor routes amid mounting Covid-19 cases in the state.
East Sabah Security Command (Esscom) deputy commander Datuk Ahmad Fuad said operations were concentrated in the Kalabakan area along the east coast bordering Kalimantan in Indonesia.
“We have adjusted it since we placed our patrols in the area in April. Land operations against illegal immigrants have been expanded to include the Wakuba coastal area in Tawau, ”he said.
MP Ahmad said the operations have been successful as the number of illegal immigrant landings and smuggling hotspots has been reduced, adding that this is reflected in the rising prices of smuggled cigarettes on the streets.
It added that Esscom was working with the police General Operations Force (GOF) and the military to continue to tighten Sabah’s land and sea borders, especially on the shared Malaysia-Indonesia island of Sebatik, a ten-minute boat ride from Tawau.
MP Ahmad said that the 200-kilometer border between Kalabakan and Tawau was controlled by six army outposts to monitor entrances via unauthorized routes, also known as “rat lanes.”
Esscom was also closely monitoring cross-border criminal groups and militants in the southern Philippines, he said.
“We remain vigilant against the kidnapping for ransom gangs as well as the Abu Sayyaf militants,” he said, adding that Esccom was constantly in communication with its counterparts in the southern Philippines.
“Our focus now is to help control the spread of Covid-19 but, at the same time, we must be vigilant about these criminal and militant groups,” he said.
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