BELURAN: Police here have crippled a group known as “Gang Kunak”, which is suspected of several break-ins involving swiftlet houses in Beluran and Telupid from last year to March 14 this year.
Beluran District Police Chief Supt Kasim Muda said that police apprehended three men and a woman suspected of being the mastermind.
“All the suspects from Kunak were detained in Lahad Datu and Kunak,” he told a press conference after attending the 217th Police Day celebrations at the district police headquarters’ Dewan Buludan here on Monday.
The break-ins irked swiftlet home operators, who suffered financial losses as a result of the crime.
Meanwhile, the ceremony also saw the handover of Terusan Sugut Paitan Police Station Chief Post by Sub-Inspector Edwin Dollah to Sergeant Rudy Toik.
Edwin, who has been the police station chief for ten years, will be assigned to the police training centre in Kota Kinabalu.
In another development, Kasim said their District Narcotics Crime Investigation Department seized a total of 1,007.59 grammes of drugs totalling RM101,441 through five separate individual arrests in Beluran and Telupid.
The male suspects consisted of both locals and foreigners from Ranau, Sandakan, and Lahad Datu.
Preliminary investigations showed that all five carried out the activity on their own and were not part of any drug syndicate.
Kasim added that from January last year to March this year, the District Commercial Crime Investigation Department received 31 fraud cases.
This included non-existent loans, internet purchases, investments, the Macau Scam, fake requests for bank TAC, online employment, and land transfers, among other things, resulting in a loss of RM545, 397.29.
No arrests have been made thus far.
Between January and March this year, there were four fatal accidents involving motorcyclists and motorists in the district.
On that point, he urged road users to exercise caution, particularly when driving on under-construction roads, such as the Pan Borneo Highway, and damaged roads, such as Jalan Sapi Nanggoh.
He additionally advised residents who leave their homes vacant throughout the holiday season to notify the nearest police station for surveillance purposes.
Earlier in his speech, Kasim expressed hope that his men and women in the police force will continue to strive for excellence, particularly in battling criminal activities.
