SANDAKAN – Five terror suspects linked to the Royal Security Forces (RSF) of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo were arrested by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) in Sabah last month.
Speaking to Sinar Harian, Esscom commander Datuk Victor Sanjos said among the five suspects, which include a woman, three were believed to be involved in terror financing, while another two were believed to be supporters of the RSF.
The RSF is a militant group that was responsible for the Lahad Datu intrusion in 2013 and kidnap-and-ransom cases in Semporna.
They claimed to be fighting for the so-called “Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo” to assert the territorial claim of the Philippines on eastern Sabah.
The Lahad Datu intrusion took the lives of 72 people, including 56 militants, 10 Malaysian security force personnel, and six civilians.
Sanjos, who was quoted in a local news portal here, said Esscom takes the potential threats from suspected terror groups seriously.
Among the groups that are currently under the radar from the southern Philippines are the Abu Sayyaf group, maritime kidnap-for-ransom groups, Islamic State or Daulah Islamiyah groups, and the RSF, on top of the 13 individuals who are on the Esscom wanted list.
However, Sanjos said that there was no evidence of any activities by these groups to recruit residents or support their propaganda efforts.
He said the previous arrests of insiders had served as a lesson to the public, which had minimised the potential threats to a “moderate level”.
“This assessment is based on the enforcement actions taken by the Philippine government, which has shown a serious and committed approach to tracking and subsequently neutralising threats posed by these groups,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that Esscom will remain vigilant in security monitoring and intelligence gathering in eastern Sabah, which borders the southern Philippines. – October 12, 2023