KOTA KINABALU: Police seized 42 air rifles of various brands along with 456 small boxes of pellets, and arrested an oil palm smallholder in a hut during an operation in Sook, Keningau, on Sunday (Oct 11).
Keningau OCPD Supt Erwansyah Abdul Basir said that during "Op Laras," the 50-year-old local suspect was arrested after failing to produce a valid licence or permit for the possession of all the weapons.
"Initial investigations revealed that the suspect is believed to have been running an activity selling air rifles at prices ranging from RM350 to RM500 per rifle around the Keningau district.
"The pellets were believed to be sold at prices between RM30 and RM50 for each pack containing 10 small boxes, and police also seized five camo-patterned gun bags," he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 12).
Keningau is an interior district in Sabah located about 120km south of Kota Kinabalu.
Supt Erwansyah said police are currently investigating the source of the supply as well as the possibility of the weapons supply network extending overseas.
According to him, the case is being investigated under Section 8(a) of the Firearms Act 1960 regarding the possession of unlicensed weapons, while also examining the application of Section 7 of the Firearms (Penalties) Act 1971 concerning the offence of trafficking firearms.
He stressed that the police view any activity involving the possession and sale of unlicensed weapons that can threaten public security very seriously and appealed to the public with information to channel it to the police. — Bernama
