BUKIT MERTAJAM: Five people, including a 14-year-old girl, were detained to assist investigations into the kidnapping of a nine-month-old baby girl, at an apartment in Bukit Tengah here on Tuesday.
Also detained along with the teenage school dropout was her 18-year-old boyfriend, as well as his mother, 43, his stepfather, 30, and a male friend, 18.
The three teenagers were detained at a hut while eating in Machang Bubuk about 11.50pm on the day of the incident.
The boyfriend's parents were picked up in their house in Kulim past midnight.
Seberang Prai Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Tan Cheng San said the baby girl was found safe in the care of the boyfriend's parents.
Based on the initial investigations, he said the girl who came from a broken family took the baby girl from her grandmother, who worked as a nanny, when the 65-year-old woman was performing her prayers.
The grandmother is also looking after three other babies, earning RM500 a month.
"The suspect told us that she took the baby girl because she liked her very much. The toddler gets along with others easily.
"She, however, told her boyfriend's mother that the child was hers, from her previous relationship.
"We are still investigating the motive of the kidnapping, whether the child was meant to be sold to a syndicate. As far as we are concerned, no such transaction has taken place," he told reporters at the district police headquarters here this morning.
On Tuesday at 5.30pm, the baby's 24-year-old's mother went to the apartment to pick up her daughter. However, she was told by the suspect's grandmother that the baby was taken by the suspect when she (the grandmother) was performing prayers.
Tan said the baby's mother went to the apartment's guard house and was told that the suspect had carried the baby on foot and they were picked up by a man on a motorcycle, believed to be her boyfriend.
"The mother tried to call the suspect on her mobile but could not reach her.
"The baby's 26-year-old father then lodged a police report at the Bukit Tengah police station," he said, adding the baby was the couple's only child.
At the time of the incident, the suspect's 18-year-old sister was looking after three other babies in the room.
Tan said all suspects have been remanded for four days until Saturday to assist investigations under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping.