The money seized from the 15 Filipinos.
The ‘kumpit’ boat being towed to Azumi Camp.
The passports of the detained men.
SEMPORNA: The Malaysian Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force (ATB 2) detained 15 trespassing Filipino men and seized 10 million pesos (about RM730,000) from them in an operation in the waters off Pulau Denawan, Semporna, early yesterday.
The men, aged between 22 and 49, were held after the boat they were in was intercepted by a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) team of the ATB 2 about 3am, said ATB 2 Headquarters media relations officer Major Mohammed Fahmi Ishak.
“At about 12.30 am, a QRF team patrolling the Ops Pasir area received a tip-off about a boat near Pulau Denawan. The QRF team led by QRF Company chief Major Rozaimi Mohamad managed to intercept and stop the boat at 3am,” he said in a statement.
An inspection of the boat revealed that the Filipino men on board, including the crew, had valid travel documents and they had with them 10 million pesos in a bundle, apparently to buy foodstuff, especially rice, in Tawau.
“The boat had trespassed into the operational area, resulting in it being detained,” Mohammed Fahmi said.
He said the boat was towed to the military jetty at the Azumi Camp in Semporna and a police report was lodged at the Semporna district police headquarters.
The arrested men were handed over to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency for further action, he added.