Sabah police to set up special illegal immigrant search squad

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said discussions with the Immigration Department would also be held to iron out problems and weaknesses in flushing out illegal immigrants.

"House to house search at water villages, industrial areas and estates will be carried out to nab workers without permit," he told reporters after officiating a Police Support Constable Trainee Policing Training passing out parade at the Sabah police contingent headquarters in Kepayan here Saturday.

He was commenting on the report by the RCI on Illegal Immigrants in Sabah as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa on Wednesday.

He said police would cooperate with the commission's Permanent and Working Committees as recommended in the report.

Jalaluddin also called for the illegal immigrant detention centre be expanded to accommodate those arrested from integrated operations conducted from time to time.

In this regard, he said implementation of the 10th phase of curfew in areas, off the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) waters ending on Monday would be extended for another two weeks from next Tuesday.

He said the curfew, effective from 7pm to 5am, would help study the level of security in the zone.

"The level of security is under control but we cannot take it lightly as intelligence found cross border activities are still being planned for kidnap and intrusion," he said.

He said the implementation of the curfew was effective in facilitating the authorities conduct inspection on boats sailing at night.