ESSCom nabs 22 illegal immigrants in Tawau

TAWAU, April 6 -- The tactic of 22 illegal immigrants believed to have boarded a boat from Indonesia, before landing and hiding in a bush near the coastline at Jalan Tawau Lama here, to infiltrate into the country was uncovered, when they were arrested during the Op Cegah Pati (OCP) Daratan, yesterday.

Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) commander Datuk Ahmad Fuad Othman said the immigrants who made up of 11 men, eight women and three children, aged between six and 60, were arrested at 5.15pm.

“Acting on a public tip-off, a team of security personnel led by ESSCo, assisted by the General Operations Force and the Malaysian Armed Forces managed to track down 22 individuals did not have valid personal identification documents in the area,” he said in a statement, here today.

He said all those detained were brought to the Tawau District Police Headquarters for further action and the case was being investigated under Section 6 (1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Ahmad Fuad said ESSCom, in collaboration with security agencies under the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) are committed to carrying out the task of monitoring the country’s border.

-- BERNAMA