Human traffickers held

Human traffickers held
Human traffickers held



KOTA KINABALU: Three people have been detained under the Internal Security Act for allegedly smuggling Filipinos into Sabah.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the two Filipinos and Malaysian were believed to have been smuggling Filipinos from the southern Philippine island of Bongoa into Lahad Datu.

He said the three, who were arrested on May 24, had been actively involved in cross-border human trafficking.

“Their arrests are a step to address the illegal immigration problem in the state,” he said after naming two Sabah-born civil servants Ismail Ahmad and Suria Idris as directors of the state National Registration Department and Prisons Department respectively.

Hishammuddin said the Home Ministry was working hard to tackle trans-national crimes including human trafficking, drug and arms smuggling, money laundering and cyber-crimes.

On another matter, Hishammud­din said it was untrue that few Sabahans had led federal agencies.

He said that five out of nine departments under his ministry were headed by Sabahans.

“About 97% of staff in the Prisons Department in the state is manned by Sabahans.

“Similarly Sabahans form the bulk of the workforce in the Immigration Department at 89%, National Registr­ation Department (96%) and 95% of the Civil Defence staff are Sabahans.”