Police Rescue Kidnapping Victim, Arrest Eight In Kelantan

KOTA BHARU, Oct 3 (Bernama) — Police have rescued a kidnapping victim and arrested eight people, including a woman, to assist investigations into the case, which happened in Pasir Puteh last week.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said all the suspects, aged between 20 and 46, were arrested in several raids at six locations in Kota Bharu, Bachok, Pasir Puteh and Tumpat yesterday morning. Police also rescued the kidnapping victim, a man in his 20s.

He said that on Sept 26, the victim was kidnapped and confined in an unnumbered house in Cherang Ruku, and the suspects demanded a ransom of RM150,000 from his employer.

“Based on intelligence, the Kelantan Criminal Investigation Department team carried out raids between 2 am and 11.30 am yesterday,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Yusoff said that apart from the arrests, police also seized various items, including 15 mobile phones, three vehicles, an iron chain with five padlocks, face masks, cable ties, and clothing worn during the incident.

"Also seized were a revolver and an imitation pistol marked ‘Austria’,” he said.

According to him, the complainant in the case had handed over RM29,000 in ransom money to the suspects before the arrests were made.

“All suspects have been remanded for four days starting yesterday until Oct 5 for further investigation under Sections 385, 342 and 365 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971,” he said.

Mohd Yusoff added that investigations are ongoing to complete the case file.

— BERNAMA