SANDAKAN: The Joint Forces Command intercepted four boats and detained eight people during a sea patrol here, today.
In the first arrest at 11.46am, enforcement team from the Quick Reaction Force spotted a suspicious fishing boat trying to sneak into Sandakan waters.
According to a statement issued by the Joint Forces Command, the boat with four people on board was travelling from Pulau Taganak in southern Philippines when the team stopped them.
“Upon inspection, we found that three of the passengers are Filipinos with no valid documents while the skipper is a Malaysian but did not possess a passport,” said the statement.
At 3.25pm, the team intercepted another three speed boats that were heading towards Taganak from Sandakan. Four passengers – two Malaysians and two Filipinos – were detained.
All boats and passengers were handed over to the Eastern Sabah Security Command for further action.
