Sabah extends its maritime border curfew

From The Star (Jul 10, 2022): Sabah extends its maritime border curfew

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew along its maritime border has been extended by another 14 days to July 24.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Idris Abdullah said residents in the areas covered by the curfew, which was scheduled to end yesterday, are required to stay at home from 6pm to 6am.

Outsiders are also not allowed to enter the curfew zones.

The curfew covers areas up to three nautical miles off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, and Beluran.

Idris said the curfew extension was necessary due to continuous threats from cross-border criminals, including kidnap-for-ransom groups.

“The curfew is needed to ensure our waters are not trespassed by terrorists or criminals from southern Philippines who can threaten the safety of international researchers, or kidnap foreign tourists visiting the islands,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

Intelligence sources, he added, have revealed that the Abu Sayyaf group is still attempting to carry out kidnapping-for-ransom as well as other transborder crimes.

“The curfew will allow security forces to look after the safety of people who travel at sea and those living in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/07/10/sabah-extends-its-maritime-border-curfew