KOTA KINABALU: Kidnappers from the southern Philippines will carry out another abduction in Sabah within the next two to three months.
Issuing the warning yesterday, Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) director general Datuk Mohammad Mentek said this was based on reliable intelligence received by ESSCom.
In response, Mohammad said ESSCom had instructed the security forces patrolling island resorts to step up their efforts and remain alert.
He said this when leading high officials from ESSCom to meet with resort operators in the East Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) for a dialogue here yesterday.
Mohammad said ESSCom’s tight security has foiled four attempts to encroach our waters to carry out abduction in November last year.
“It was most unfortunate that the murder cum kidnapping case of Taiwanese tourists on Pom Pom Island happened,” he said.
Mohammad said the Southern Philippines had 14 armed syndicates specialized in abduction, of which seven of the syndicates were still active.
He said the southern Philippines recorded 76 kidnapping cases last year.
Kidnapping has somehow become a business to the syndicates to make quick money, he said.
According to intelligence received on March 19 this year, Mohammad said 30 armed kidnappers on five boats would be intruding into Sabah to carry out a large scale abduction.
ESSCom immediately reacted by stepping up security in ESSZone.
As a result, Mohammad said four boats carrying kidnappers from the southern Philippines turned back whereas one boat successfully entered the State and abducted Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29 and Filipino worker Marcy Dayawan @ Mimi, 40 on Singamata Adventures Reef and Resort.
He said ESSCom had received reliable intelligence that the southern Philippines kidnappers would return within the next two to three months, and he urged island resort operators in the ESSZone to take the issue seriously.
“We have instructed the army and police boats patrolling the island resorts to remain alert,” he added.
Based on the intelligence received by ESSCom, the kidnappers from southern Philippines would usually break into island resorts during high tide at night, and flee during low tide.
Mohammad said eight abduction cases by Filipino kidnappers have occurred since the year 2000. The first was the abduction of 21 domestic and international tourists from Sipadan Island to southern Philippines in 2000.