KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police have suggested that a consortium be set up to make way for a legal firearms factory to be built in the state, so that people no longer make “weapons in their backyard”.

       State Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said there were previous reports of bullets being sold illegally and the supply was easily accessible in Sabah because of demand from owners of illegal homemade shotguns called “bakakuk”.

       “The Inspector-General of Police even ordered the monitoring of such sales last year.

       “That is why I suggest that a consortium is formed to build a legal firearms factory so we can provide firearms like shotguns and bullets for shotguns legally.

       “Or else we will keep seeing people designing their own bakakuk in their backyard,” he said at the Sandakan police station during the 2021/2022 firearms licence renewal programme yesterday.

       According to him, intelligence reports from the Sabah police contingent licensing division found that there was demand for bullets in the black market despite steep prices.

       Illegal wildlife hunters, he said, were among those who purchased these bullets.

       “Following our previous recommendation to Bukit Aman to limit bullet possession to 100 per individual to avoid misuse, this has helped in reducing illegal hunting activities and illegal use of firearms,” he said.

       Hazani also highlighted incidents of syndicates bringing fake ammunition into Sabah such as “gel blaster” bullets or ball bearings as bullets.

       He reminded firearm owners to store their weapons properly so that they would not fall into the wrong hands.