LAHAD DATU: Two suspected criminals who intruded into Malaysian waters were shot dead by personnel of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) near Felda Sahabat here late on Tuesday.
A special task force of Esscom was patrolling the sea off Felda Sahabat when the personnel on duty spotted two speedboats moving at about 11pm.
Esscom commander DCP Datuk Hazani Ghazali (pix) said yesterday that personnel on the patrol boats sounded sirens and switched on beacons lights as they pursued the foreign boats.
He said the intruders shot at personnel of the task force who then returned fire. They found two bodies on a boat. Esscom personnel were not injured in the shooting.
Hazani said intruders on another boat managed to escape and were seen heading towards the Philippines.
No identification papers were found on the dead men. Esscom personnel found a Garand rifle, an ammunition magazine, two rounds of ammunition and a spent bullet shell from the boat.
He said the bodies of the intruders and their boat were taken to the marine police base here.
Police have not discounted the possibilities that the suspects had planned to commit crimes including kidnapping off the coast of Lahad Datu.
