Sabah police identifying cross border criminal suspect

Police are still identifying a wanted suspect nabbed with seven individuals, including four children believed to be involved in cross border crimes in Pulau Bohayan, Semporna on Sunday.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said security forces detained the suspects who did not have personal identification documents at about 5.30pm.

"We are investigating to confirm if the arrest included one suspect who is involved in the kidnapping of Constable Zakia Aleip in July," he told a media conference after officiating a Police Support Constable Trainee Policing basic training passing out parade at the Sabah police contingent headquarters in Kepayan here Saturday.

Without revealing the age of the suspect, Jalaluddin said he was among the individuals wanted by police even though investigation was still going on to determine his involvement in the ambush on two marine policemen at a resort in Pulau Mabul, Semporna.

In the attack by a group of eight men at 11.10pm on July 12, a colleague of Zakia, Corporal Ab Rajah Jamuan, 32, was killed.

Earlier, a local daily reported eight foreigners including four children, aged five to 65, were apprehended while attempting to enter Pulau Bohayan, Semporna.

All suspects were remanded for 14 days to facilitate investigation in the case under Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act.

He said Sabah police had established cooperation with the Philippines' authorities to combat cross border crimes, including detecting several wanted suspects who were believed to be moving between the two countries.

Earlier, Jalaluddin presented five four-wheel vehicles which have been modified to transport heavy firearms, worth RM91,000 each, to five eastern Sabah district police headquarters, namely Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Beluran and Kota Marudu.

In the parade, 260 trainees including 82 women from all over the country completed the four-month training before being assigned to all districts and contingents with insufficient staff, especially in Sabah.