Bukit Aman team investigating kidnap-for-ransom groups in Semporna

KOTA KINABALU: A special team from Bukit Aman is questioning suspects detained following the shooting of a suspected kidnap for ransom (KFR) scout in Semporna on Oct 26.

Sabah Police Commisisoner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the team was conducting investigations and would leave it to them to probe further the involvement of those arrested and their connections to the KFR groups.

He was commenting after Wahab Atab @ Botak, a 34-year-old from Kg Balimbang Semporna surrendered himself to police on Oct 27 after he was named as one of six wanted men to assist in their cross border crime investigations.

Earlier this month, police arrested three suspected scouts of the KFR group while on Saturday police shot dead a suspected intruder on a speedboat in waters off Pulau Bangau-Bangau in Semporna, 

This was followed by the arrest of seven men and two women in the Semporna area.

The eastern coast of Sabah is considered to be volatile, with frequent kidnappings by KFR groups from the Southern Philippines.  

Jalaluddin, meanwhile, said that all 10 police districts under the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) are holding exercises codenamed Ops Gempar where they would be testing the efficiency of the police in combating various threats including incursion, kidnappings and other criminal activities.

``I urge the public not to be alarmed over large scale movements and roadblocks that will be in place during the current operations over the next few days,’’ he said, adding that the operations started late Wednesday.