Five men charged with kidnapping nine foreigners

Five men were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with kidnapping nine foreign men and demanding a ransom of RM15,000 for each early this month.

No plea was recorded from the accused, who comprised two Malaysians - Mohd Ibroni Abdullah, 36, and Zainal Nanyan, 32, two Myanmar men - Zanggir Alam Abul Hussin and Saiful Shona Miya - and a Bangladesh national known only as Akhbar.

All of them were jointly charged with detaining eight Bangladesh men and one Myanmar man to obtain a ransom of RM15,000 from each, at a house in Kampung Asam Jawa, Pendang, at 2.30am on Sept 6.

They were charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961 which was read with Section 34 of the Penal Code and provides for the death sentence or life imprisonment and caning upon conviction.

State Deputy Public Prosecutor Eliana Ismail, who appeared for the prosecution, did not offer any bail for the accused.

Magistrate Mohd Khairul Hafizzuddin Ramli set Oct 24 for mention pending the engagement of an interpreter for the foreigners. -- Bernama