KOTA KINABALU: Two Malaysians and a Chinese national, arrested for alleged spying activities on the shared border island of Sebatik, were deported to Sabah a month ago, Kalimanatan-based news reports said.
The reports, quoting Indonesia’s Nunukan immigration office head Washington Saut Dompak, said they were deported on Aug 13 after they were cleared of alleged espionage activities.
They were arrested after Indonesian security officials found security-sensitive photographs of a naval facility on one of their phones.
Washington said the men had explained that they did not know that it was a security installation.
The two Malaysians – a 39-year-old resident of Tawau and a 45-year-old engineer from Kota Kinabalu – and a 40-year-old Chinese national working as a manager for a Chinese construction firm in Kota Kinabalu, were arrested on July 20.
All three had entered the border town legally from Tawau.