Malaysian security forces find large arms cache, detain Filipinos

Malaysian security forces find large arms cache, detain Filipinos

Agence France-Presse
Kuala Lumpur

Military officials seized a large number of weapons and detained
22 Filipinos when they attempted to sail into Malaysia through
the waters off Sabah state on Borneo island, which borders the
Philippines, a top security official said on Thursday.

The military and the police have deployed divers to search the
seabed after the Filipinos reportedly dumped more weapons
overboard when they were spotted by the military off the coastal
town of Sandakan on early Wednesday, he told AFP on the condition
of anonymity.

The Utusan Malaysia, a Malay-language daily, on Thursday
reported the cache included a large amount of explosive material
and 216 bullets.

The official said the 22 intruders included one woman. "I
think they were trying to escape the current military offensive
in southern Philippines," he told AFP.

"They are now under police custody and are being questioned,"
he said.

The official said police would attempt to find out why the
group entered Malaysian waters and what the weapons were to be
used for.

"With the most recent bomb attack at Jakarta airport, we are
concerned if these weapons are meant for another terror attack,"
he said.

The official said the Filipinos were nabbed when their boat
got stuck in a sandbank as they sought shelter on one of the many
small islands.

Security has been heightened and "our forces have been ordered
to prevent anyone -- militants or migrants -- from entering and
seeking sanctuary in Malaysia," he said.

Only last week, Malaysian and Philippines security officials
met in Kuala Lumpur and pledged to exchange intelligence in an
attempt to crush cross-border crime.

But the porous nature of the border makes arms trafficking,
piracy and the entry of illegal Filipinos into Malaysia
problematic.

Sabah is located a short boat ride from the Philippine
province of Mindanao where government forces are battling Muslim
separatists.

The newspaper report said it could not be confirmed if the
detainees were members of the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), the regional
terror network, or part of the Philippines Moro separatist
rebels, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who are active
in southern Philippines.