Eight detained in Ranau over homemade firearms   

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Police in Sabah have apprehended eight individuals including four senior citizens believed to be involved in making and purchasing homemade firearms on Aug 6 and 7.

Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Zaini Jass said police conducted a raid at a double-storey house on Aug 6 at 2.30 am in Kampung Kinaratuan, Ranau and arrested two men in the house.

He said the raid led police to discover a store for firearm components behind the house and a shed located about 150 metres from the house.     

“In the shed, police nabbed a man and seized various firearms kept in the hut,” he told a media conference at Sabah police contingent headquarters in Kepayan here today.

Zaini said one of the suspects was believed to be making and selling homemade firearms in the past 25 years by copying imitation guns and pistols which were sold at between RM800 to RM2,800.

He said on the same day, police also conducted a raid at Kampung Debut, Bundu Tuhan and Kepatahan and picked up three men.

Meanwhile, a man was held at the guardhouse of Lok Kawi camp with another individual at Kampung Lohan in Ranau. 

Zaini said all the suspects were locals aged between 29 and 83 while the senior citizens were released on police bail.

He said in the two-day operation, police seized various homemade firearms including eight bakakuks (shotguns), nine air rifles, a homemade marble gun, a homemade pistol, a revolver and various sizes of bullets.

“All the firearms will be sent to the Chemistry Department to ascertain their authenticity,” he said.

 The case was investigated under Section 7 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 for trading in firearms which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment and not less than six strokes of the rotan upon conviction.

-- BERNAMA