Cops seek clue on baby Freddie's abduction with CCTV grab

KUALA LUMPUR - Police yesterday released video grabs from a closed-circuit camera television (CCTV) recording showing Freddie Joseph's kidnappers in the act on Nov 8.

The recording was taken from a neighbour's CCTV system and showed the five-minute incident which occurred in front of the house where the boy and his British expatriate mother Sarah live in Jalan Terasik 7, Bangsar.

City police Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah urged the public who have information on the kidnappers to relay them to the police as soon as possible.

"The car used by the kidnappers, a white Toyota Camry, was using a 'cloned' registration plate."

Ku said a cloned plate was one which utilised numbers registered to a vehicle of a similar make and colour.

This, he said, was done either to lead the authorities astray or to implicate the owner of the vehicle with the actual number plate.

City police allowed journalists to view the entire CCTV recording but would only allow grabs of the footage to be printed or shown on television.

The excerpt started with the suspects' car already parked in front of Sarah's house. Seconds later, a man wearing a cap alighted from the vehicle and entered the house porch.

He is then seen running out and handing Freddie to an accomplice in the Camry.

Sarah was seen running after him, grabbing and tugging at the man's shirt while two men, possibly her neighbours or passers-by who saw the incident, came to her aid.

However, the men backed off after the kidnapper pulled out what appeared to be a knife.

Sarah, however, persisted in her struggle and managed momentarily to prevent the man from getting into the car. The man, however, pushed her out of the way as two other passers-by came to her aid, though they were also unable to intervene.

The kidnappers finally sped off, dragging Sarah for a few metres before she fell on the road.

Meanwhile, the Josephs' ex-maid, a Filipina, and her boyfriend who were detained in connection with the case on Nov 10 were released yesterday. Police believe they were not involved in the case.

"We have questioned them and they had an alibi," said Ku.

Freddie was found the next day wandering alone in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.