Police arrested five men and seized three homemade rifles from them in the forest reserve of Gunung Rara, Kalabakan near here, Monday.

Tawau police chief, ACP Awang Besar Dullah, said all the men, aged between 32 and 53 years, were arrested at about 8.20 am under 'Ops Buru' by a team of Forest Department officials.

"The men were travelling in a vehicle when the arrests were made. When the forest department officials stopped and searched the vehicle, they found the three homemade rifles," he said in a statement here, Tuesday.

He said the arrested men were believed to have tried to hunt in the forest reserve.

All of them were remanded for a week starting Tuesday.