œTIGHTENING control of surrounding waters was the immediate reaction of the police to the most recent kidnappings in Sandakan, Sabah. Two victims, the manager of a restaurant and a guest, were taken at gunpoint by four kidnappers clad in military gear and armed with M-16 assault rifles and a pistol. Again, a gaping hole in the security off Sabahs east coast, despite the establishment of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) soon after the Lahad Datu incursion by Sulu gunmen in February 2013. Apparently, the porous border has remained virtually that after many long months, for this was not the first incident of its kind since Esscom came to be. Or, can we conclude that there would have been many more of the same if not for Esscom?
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