Those detained were taken to the city police headquarters for investigation.
The two women were being led by police into a police van after they failed to produce any documents.
A police officer inspecting a man during the Ops Cantas operation on Thursday.
KOTA KINABALU: Police arrested two women when they failed to produce documents and tried to flee.
The women, in their 20s, were initially seen wondering about at the Segama waterfront, behind Hyatt Hotel, when the police approached them during Ops Cantas operation on Thursday night.
When asked to produce their identification card, both women claimed to have left their cards at home.
They were also uncooperative with the police and allegedly tried to flee.
They were detained and handcuffed together and taken to the city police headquarters for investigation.
The women were among some 30 people detained by police for failure to produce any documents during the operation which began at 8pm on Thursday and edned at 1am yesterday.
City police chief ACP Jauteh Dikun said the operation was carried out around the city centre, namely Bandaran Berjaya, Sinsuran, Segama, Kampung Air and Sembulan.
He said seven men, in their 20s, were also apprehended for drug-related offences, while a 40-year-old man was nabbed for alleged theft.
He added that the operation would be carried out from time to time to fight crime in the state capital.