TAWAU: Two separate incidents involving the swift arrest of a teenage rape suspect in Tawau and a destructive house fire in Lahad Datu were reported on July 29.
In the first case, Tawau police apprehended an 18-year-old foreigner on suspicion of raping an underage local girl. The suspect was tracked down and arrested during an operation in the parking lot of a mosque along Mile 2, Jalan Apas.
Acting District Police Chief, Superintendent Wilynton Enchana Watt, confirmed that the investigation was triggered by a report from the victim’s father, who had grown concerned after his daughter failed to return home. She was later located in the Fajar area, where authorities discovered she had been staying with the suspect.
Initial findings revealed that the victim had admitted to an intimate relationship with the suspect, who housed her in a rented room along Jalan Haji Karim, Bandar Fajar. Acting on this lead, the District Criminal Investigation Division mounted an operation that led to the suspect’s swift capture.
Further background checks confirmed that the suspect is a foreigner lacking valid travel documentation. However, authorities noted that he has no prior criminal record.
The suspect is currently being investigated under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code for rape, as well as Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for overstaying without valid documents. Police have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
In a separate incident on the same day, a fire broke out at a two-storey semi-concrete house in Kampung Sepagaya, Lahad Datu, destroying an estimated 90% of the structure. The intense heat also damaged a Toyota Hilux parked nearby.
The emergency call was received via the MERS 999 system at 2.44 pm, prompting a rapid response from the Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Station. Fire engines arrived at the scene by 2.52 pm, having travelled nearly 7 kilometres from the station.
Operation Commander PBK II Abdul Salam Ismail reported that firefighters were forced to utilize seawater to combat the blaze due to the location. Crews managed to bring the fire under control by 3.31 pm, with the operation concluding at 4.11 pm.
A total of 12 firefighting personnel responded to the incident, assisted by two policemen, six members of the Civil Defence Force (APM), and two personnel from Sabah Electricity. Despite the extensive property damage, authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported. – James Leong
Firefighters work to extinguish the remnants of the house fire in Kampung Sepagaya, Lahad Datu.
