KOTA KINABALU: The dusk-to-dawn sea curfew in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) has been extended to Oct 10.

The 7pm to 5am curfew, which has now entered its 50th phase, covers the seven districts under Esszone namely Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Tawau, Beluran, and Semporna.

The areas include waters off Pulau Gulisan, Tanjung Bidadari, Pulau Tambisan, Silam, Tungku, Pulau Adal, Alice Reef, Timbun Mata, Kalumpangan, Batuan Unarang, Pelabuhan, Wallace Bay, Jambongan, Timur Jambongan, Pulau Lihiman, Pulau Pundaras, Torongohok, Pura-Pura, and Kuala Sugut, among others.

In a statement, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said the curfew is necessary to allow security forces to monitor movement of boats and people especially those trying to sneak into Sabah from dusk to dawn.

The curfew hour was enforced in Sabah in 2014 after the kidnapping of a marine policeman when Filipino gunmen ambushed a resort on Pulau Mabul off Semporna.

The sea curfew is part of security measure to prevent kidnapping and any form of intrusion.

-NST