JOHOR BARU: No fresh leads have surfaced in the case involving the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh Keng Joo.
One suspect, nabbed by police earlier, turned out to be a dead end as he emerged as an opportunist, looking only to extort money from the family.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police were still working on the case despite the lack of new updates.
"The suspect detained had no relation to the case. He was using the family to extort money from them," he told a press conference at the Palm Resort Senai, here today.
Khalid said Koh's case has become a highly-publicised one and speculation surrounding his abduction had hindered police investigation.
He said the publicity on the case by the media, non-governmental organisations and individuals had interfered in police investigation.
Khaled compared Koh's case with a similar one in Johor, where a 44-year-old housewife was abducted and later rescued when police raided a barn in Batam, Indonesia on Feb 21.
"A total of 18 suspects, both Malaysian and Indonesian, were arrested. The case had received no publicity and as a result, was resolved in 27 days," said Khalid, noting that Koh has now been missing for 35 days.