KOTA KINABALU: The labourer who lodged a report claiming to have run into five armed men at the Felda Sahabat plantation estate in Lahad Datu has been arrested.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din (pic) said the 52-year-old man was arrested as he was an illegal immigrant and would be investigated under the Immigration Act.

Ramli clarified that the man was not being investigated for making a false report.

"We never said the man made a false report. We only said we found nothing suspicious there, it is a different issue altogether," he said.

He also said they were not sure why the man only made a report on May 14, two weeks after the sighting on April 30.

"Among some of the reasons was that he was afraid of being arrested as he is an illegal immigrant," he said.

Ramli assured the public that the police were not closing the case despite not finding any proof of the man's claims.

It was previously reported that the man had claimed that he was working at a banana plantation when he heard some chatter near the river.

He said he followed the voices and spotted five men dressed in military fatigues and armed with M16 rifles.

The labourer claimed to have spoken to two of the men in Tagalog, who said that they were not here to cause problems, but to save the people in Sabah.

He also told police that the five men said they were part of 37 people who came to the state but had moved away from the main group.

The labourer said he was not harmed and was told to leave.