Kidnapped Chinese, Filipino nationals released
Bernama
May 31, 2014 08:20 MYT
May 31, 2014 08:20 MYT
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The Chinese and Filipino nationals who were kidnapped at the Singamata Adventures Reef and Resort, Semporna in early April have been released and are now in Sabah.
State police commissioner, Datuk Hamza Taib when contacted by Bernama, said the release of the Chinese tourist and Filipina resort worker was the result of cooperation between Malaysian and Filipino police.
"They arrived here (Sandakan), at 10.30am today (Friday)," he said. However, he declined to reveal the current location of the two victims.
Meanwhile, prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak through his Twitter account confirms that he has been briefed of the release.
On April 2, a group of seven armed men kidnapped Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29, from Shanghai, and Filipino resort employee, Marcy Dayawan, 40, from the Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort at about 10.30pm.
The kidnappers were reported to have demanded a ransom of RM36.4 million (US$11 million) in exchange for releasing Gao.
Following the incident, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ordered the tightening of security control in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) and sending of additional assets there.
Earlier, Bernama had reported the Sabah police commissioner as saying that Sabah police had detained four people, including three women, to assist in the investigation.
"Two women were detained at the resort where the kidnapping took place, while another woman and a man were detained in a village in Semporna," he said.