-By JAMES LEONG
SEMPORNA: The police arrested two foreigners and confiscated materials for making fish bombs during a raid on a house in Kampung Hidayat here on Thursday night.
A team of personnel from the Bum Bum Police Station conducted the operation at 8.30 pm based on intelligence report received, OCPD Superintendent Mohd Sabri Zainol said in a statement on Friday.
The operation led to the discovery of equipment used for making fish bombs, including seven units of non-electrical detonators, two rolls of red fuse cords, two white 18-litre containers of fertilizer and three glass bottles containing processed fertilizer, he said.
The raiding team also arrested two male foreign nationals, aged 17 and 48, who were found without valid identification papers. The suspects and confiscated items were taken to the district police headquarters for further investigation, Mohd Sabri said.
The case is being investigated under Section 8 of the Explosive Substances Act 1957, which carries a penalty of up to seven years imprisonment or a fine of RM10,000, or both upon conviction, he added.
Mohd Sabri thanked the public for the tip off and urged folks with information on illegal fish bombing activities to report to the nearest police station.
“We will not compromise with any party and will take strict action to curb this dangerous activity, which threatens lives, marine ecosystems, and national security,” Mohd Sabri emphasized.
Fish bombing, a destructive fishing method, has been linked to severe ecological damage and safety risks in Sabah’s waters. Law enforcement agencies continue to intensify efforts to eradicate the practice.
