LAHAD DATU, Jan 24 — The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) has detained 14 illegal immigrants in the district, including a four-year-old girl, in a two-day integrated operation ended yesterday.

ESSCom commander Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the immigrants, comprising 12 Filipinos and two Indonesians, were detained for not having valid identification documents.

“They were among the 46 individuals inspected around Lahad Datu town and 87 individuals in Felda Sahabat 17 Cenderawasih,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

Hazani said the immigrants, including the girl, were then taken to the Tawau temporary detention centre for documentation purposes.

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In Sandakan, the Region Four Marine Operations Force (MOF) arrested nine illegal immigrants including a woman, aged between 18 and 55, at the Sungai Luboh Jetty area on Monday.

Its commander, ACP Mohd Yazib Abd Aziz said acting on Marine Intelligence Unit’s information regarding migrant smuggling activities at the jetty resulted in the arrest of the illegal immigrants at 10.10 pm.

In Tawau, police arrested a 50-year-old Filipino man soon after he was believed to have robbed a contractor using a knife at Jalan Cole Adam on Monday.

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Tawau district police chief ACP Fadil Marsus said the suspect, who was tested positive for drug, was arrested at the al-Kautar mosque here after allegedly robbing the 38-year-old contractor at 3.30 pm.

“The victim was approached by the suspect who brandished a long knife and took the victim’s money amounting to RM2,000 before fleeing to the Sabindo area.

“A police team patrolling the area was alerted by the public and managed to arrest the suspect,” he said in a statement here yesterday. — Bernama