JOHOR BARU: Police arrested and charged a 41-year-old mechanic for allegedly masterminding the foiled abduction of a seven-year-old Singaporean boy, within 24-hours after the Dec 12 attempt along Jalan Serampang in Taman Pelangi, here.
Johor Acting Police Chief Deputy Commissioner, M.Kumar, said the suspect, a Malaysian, was a friend of the boy's 40-year-old Singaporean businessman father.
Kumar said the main suspect had planned to extort a sum of RM300,000 from the victim.
However, no ransom was given to any of the suspects as the police successfully apprehended the main suspect on the same day of the incident, he said.
"The main suspect was charged yesterday under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping.
"The case is still under legal proceedings in court, and if convicted the suspect may face a seven-year imprisonment term.
"The alleged mastermind's three accomplices, in their 30s, have been identified and a manhunt is ongoing to flush them out of their hiding places.
"It was not a business dispute that triggered the attempted abduction, but greed and disrespect for the law. The victim and the suspect were on good talking terms when the incident occurred," he said, when contacted today.
Kumar said the father got to know the suspect after he had sent his car to the suspect's workshop in Taman Pelangi more than six months ago.
They were in regular contact after the businessman, who is also a mechanic, expressed his intentions to open a workshop in Taman Pelangi.
The business man is Chinese national residing in Singapore with permanent resident (PR) status.
The main suspect is believed to have rented a champagne-coloured car, and roped in three accomplices.
On Dec 12, the businessman took his wife and their two children – the boy and their daughter, to view suitable shop-lots along Jalan Serampang in Taman Pelangi, where he intended to open a workshop.
However, the reconnaissance trip spiralled into a nightmare when the champagne-coloured car with three unidentified men, grabbed his son and forced him into the car, before they sped off at around 4.30pm.
While the boy's parents were inside the shop-lot, their children were outside the premises playing along the pathway.
The girl suddenly ran into the premises and shouted in a panicky way that her brother was abducted.
The businessman immediately jumped into his car and gave chase.He was able to barricade the alleged kidnappers' vehicle when he cut in and blocked it with his car, in front of the Crystal Crown Hotel in Taman Century, here.
He then rushed out of his car and slammed his fist on the driver's car window panel, which shattered on impact.
However, the alleged kidnappers crashed into the rear of his car before they reversed their vehicle, while he was still clinging on the doorframe.
He was dragged for several metres, before he lost his grip and fell.Despite sustaining severe injuries, the father of two, clung on as long as he could when he got a glimpse of the three alleged abductors and his traumatised son, in the car.
He then jumped into his car and gave chase before he lost the speeding vehicle, which took an abrupt turn at the traffic junction, beating the red traffic lights.
However, the kidnappers abandoned their car with his shaken son in it, some 3km away from the traffic junction.
Kumar said the abduction attempt was an isolated incident, with its main culprit known to the boy's father.
"Incidents like this do not happen out of a sudden in Johor, our investigations revealed that the father was in amicable terms with the mastermind behind the attempted abduction for monetary gains," he said.
"We do not take incidents like this lightly, the safety of the public, including any visitors here, are our top priority… again this is an isolated case, and please do not make wild speculations with negative connotations.
"Johor is safe for all, and our investigations are now laser-focussed on the remaining suspects who are in hiding," he said.