ISKANDAR PUTERI: Police have arrested 13 individuals, including a family member of a businessman who claimed he was kidnapped by a group of people on Oct 13.
Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the 13, aged between 23 and 58, were apprehended during several operations across the state, starting from 9pm yesterday until today morning.
He mentioned that the arrests were made following intelligence and information gathered by a task force established immediately after receiving the victim's report on the day of the incident.
"Following the police report made at the Johor Baru Selatan District Police Headquarters (IPD), the Johor Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ), assisted by JSJ Bukit Aman, formed a task force to investigate this kidnapping case, resulting in the successful apprehension of 10 men and 3 women.
"They consist of eight local men, two foreign men, two local women, and one foreign woman, with one of them being a family member of the kidnapped victim.
"We also seized several items, including mobile phones and ATM cards," he said during a press conference after the Johor Contingent's 'Community Policing' Programme in conjunction with the Deepavali 2024 celebration at the Iskandar Puteri District Police Headquarters (IPD) today.
When asked if the incident involved a ransom, Kumar said the investigation is ongoing to determine the validity of such claims.
"We are conducting an investigation, which is why I emphasise from the start that all parties should refrain from speculating on these matters as there are two possibilities: it could complicate the police investigation or cause concern among the community," he said.
According to him, the 59-year-old victim only sustained minor injuries during the incident.
He added that four of those arrested have prior criminal and drug records. Ten suspects are under remand until next Tuesday, while the remaining three will have their remand applied for tomorrow.
"We will conduct follow-up investigations, and there may be other arrests, or there may not," he said.
Last Saturday, Kumar confirmed that police received a report regarding a man being abducted by several individuals at 7.20pm on Oct 13.
He reported that the victim was allegedly taken away in a car and the incident was reported as soon as the victim was released the same day.
Earlier, a businessman claimed he was kidnapped by a group of individuals before being released on the same day after his family paid a ransom.
According to a report by a local Chinese daily, the family of the businessman alleged that they had to pay RM20 million to secure his release.
The victim was reported to have been taken around 5am while he was waiting for an e-hailing service to the airport, as he intended to travel abroad for business.