Filipino informant for kidnap groups killed in Sabah shootout

KOTA KINABALU: A Filipino man with links to southern Philippinesbased kidnap-for-ransom groups was killed in a shootout at sea near Pulau Burung in the Kunak east coast district.

The 50-year-old suspect, identified as Masurati Insawan and known as Tarab, was killed by a police team led by Kunak district police chief Supt Mohd Nasaruddin Nasir during Ops Sea Hunter to tackle robberies at sea at about 2.30am on Friday.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the suspect was an informer for the kidnap groups and was also behind robberies involving fishermen at sea.

The police team was in an unmarked boat when it confronted the suspect in a pump boat at Pulau Burung, an emerging island that appears during low tide.

As the police team tried to approach the suspect, he shot at them and they returned fire, killing him, said Noor Rashid.

Noor Rashid said the suspect was wanted by police for sea robberies against local fishermen as well as Bajau Laut (sea gypsies) in the area.

“We believe several robberies have been solved and we have also cut off a link for the kidnap groups, as the suspect had been providing tip-offs to the groups,” he added.

He said Ops Sea Hunter had been carried out since early this year and police had been gathering intelligence close to the southern Philippines’ Tawi Tawi chain of islands.

Meanwhile, a viral picture of police making a “high drama” arrest of a purported militant in Semporna, Sabah, turned out to be a training exercise.

Semporna district police chief Supt Peter Umbas said people need not worry as it was an anti-crime training drill done on Wednesday.

The pictures of the “arrest” spread along with reports that police had caught militants in Semporna.