By Farik Zolkepli

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - Two kidnappers were only able to spend RM100 (S$41.20) from the RM130,000 in ransom they had collected before being gunned down by police in a shootout.

The two, who were in a Proton Wira, had fired three shots before the policemen returned fire, killing them on the spot near Chaah town in Segamat at about 1.50am yesterday.

The men, aged 35 and 38, had kidnapped a 16-year-old boy in Segamat at about 6.45am on Tuesday and demanded RM130,000 from the family.

The boy was returned unharmed after the family paid the ransom on Thursday.

Following a report, a special task force managed to track down the suspects and cornered them near Chaah.

Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said police recovered RM129,900 of the ransom money and believed the suspects had only managed to spend RM100 before police tracked them down.

However, police have yet to ascertain what the RM100 was spent on.

?We also seized a .38mm pistol, three bullets as well as three parangs.

?The suspects had previous records for theft and other crimes,? he told a press conference here yesterday.

DCP Mohd Mokhtar said police had solved seven kidnapping cases this year with all the victims being returned safe and sound and the ransoms recovered.

He urged anyone with information on any crime to contact the police hotline