Travellers are often told to be vigilant when staying in unfamiliar accommodation for good reason.
A couple from China was shocked when they discovered a CCTV hidden in a power socket of the Airbnb room they booked in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Source: Xiaohongshu
Local police confirmed that they’re investigating the incident and identifying the suspects involved.
Earlier this month, Xiaohongshu user @珍美BEAUTY recounted the incident on the Chinese social media platform.
According to her post, she and her newly-wedded husband arrived in Kota Kinabalu at about 2am on 6 Sep before making their way to their Airbnb apartment.
Despite arriving late, the couple insisted on checking their room for any suspicious surveillance equipment.
They detected a reflective surface when they shone a light into a power socket facing the apartment’s bed.
The couple subsequently dismantled the power socket, and to their horror, found a hidden CCTV neatly installed between two USB charging ports.
Source: Xiaohongshu
The OP subsequently reached out to the Airbnb host but was left on ‘read’.
Source: Xiaohongshu
Presumably due to how late it was at the time, the couple ended up spending the night in the apartment but stuffed the CCTV hole with tissue for precautionary measures.
The next morning, the couple contacted Airbnb, which made arrangements for them to stay in a separate hotel.
The OP shared that she attempted to lodge a police report but had difficulties doing so due to language barriers.
Fortunately, a lady, whom she did not clearly identify in the post, volunteered to accompany them.
The couple successfully made a police report on 7 Sep evening.
The police officer attending to the case later told the couple that the host had accused them of not paying for their one-night stay at the apartment.
It’s unclear from the post whether the couple eventually settled the payment.
The OP also alleged that the police had instructed her to delete earlier social media posts she made about the incident.
Local police chief Zaidi Abdullah, however, denied such claims.
Mr Zaidi noted that the police had conducted a probe at the Airbnb apartment and had removed the hidden camera in question, reported The Straits Times.
He said investigations are underway and that the police are in the midst of identifying the suspects involved.
On Sunday (24 Sep), Tiong King Sing — Malaysia’s Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture — told Bernama that he had instructed the relevant agencies to take “stern action” against those linked to the incident.
He added that such “reprehensible act(s)” not only violates the law but also affects the reputation of Malaysia’s tourism industry.
Mr Tiong took the opportunity to urge homestay operators in Malaysia to “pay serious attention to discipline”.
Also read: H&M M’sia Fitting Rooms Allegedly Have Hidden Cameras, Police Investigating Claims
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Featured image adapted from Xiaohongshu.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
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