Police monitoring kidnap group 'spotters' in Sabah waters

Police are monitoring the remaining few hostage ‘spotters’ or lookouts working in cohorts with the kidnap-for-ransom group (KFRG) responsible for the kidnapping incidents in Sabah’s east coast.

Sabah Police Commissioner Omar Mammah (above) said the spotters under surveillance were fishermen.

“We have received information, we are monitoring and strict action would be taken on spotters who keep an eye out for potential kidnap victims,” he told reporters after handing over medals to 264 recipients in Jasa Pahlawan Negara investiture ceremony in Semporna yesterday evening.

Omar said several spotters have been caught by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) while 11 have been shot dead since 2018.

He said Philippines security agencies are hunting down the suspects responsible for the abduction of the five Indonesian fishermen in Sabah waters on Jan 15.

Esscom commander Hazani Ghazali, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that two suspects were killed in an assault by the Philippines security forces.

The suspects, identified as Kah Bong and Melbi, had assumed the roles of navigator and negotiator for the Abu Sayyaf group.

- Bernama