‘Police could not trace fingerprints on seized ‘Ops Daulat’ items’

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KOTA KINABALU: The High Court here heard yesterday that a police forensics team could not trace any fingerprint on the items seized in the ‘Ops Daulat’ related to the Lahad Datu intrusion more two years ago.

Team leader DSP Zuraimi Zam Zam said tracing and lifting fingerprints off case exhibits were part of forensics procedure, but none was traced.

“My men assisted me in marking the exhibits and later packed them,” he said. Zuraimi, who is now a Kuala Lumpur police contingent, D10 (Forensics) staff officer was testifying at the trial of 30 individuals linked to the intrusion by Sulu gunmen at Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu in February 2013.

He said he received a number of exhibits recovered by a team from the General Operations Force’s 11th Battalion at the VAT69 tactical headquarters, at Felda Sahabat 16 on March 13, 2013. The exhibits, including sharp weapons, firearms and ammunitions were handed over to him by an intelligence officer Insp Jamirin Kintai.

Zuraimi said after completing the forensics inspection, he handed the exhibits over to Insp Mohd Zunaidi Junoh, who was the assistant to ACP Mohd Shariff Abdul Wahid, the lead investigating officer in the operation.

In the dock are 27 Filipinos and three local residents who are facing one to multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group and waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

They are also alleged to have recruited members for a terrorist group or wilfully harboured individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.

The offences were allegedly committed between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013. The hearing, before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prisons Department, continues today. —Bernama