Malaysia police rescue Singaporean fugitive, girlfriend kidnapped and held for $80k ransom in JB

Malaysian authorities rescued two Singaporeans in Johor Bahru (JB) on Tuesday (Aug 11) after they were allegedly kidnapped and held for ransom.

One of them, a 33-year-old Singaporean fugitive wanted for breaching parole for a drug offence, had been hiding in Malaysia for three months before being kidnapped, reported The Star. 

The police discovered this after rescuing him and his 28-year-old Singaporean girlfriend, said Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director M. Kumar on Wednesday.

Six Malaysians, including the mastermind, aged between 32 and 46, have been arrested, according to local media reports. 

Five of the suspects reportedly have criminal records, while four of them tested positive for drugs. 

The two victims also tested positive for meth and are currently in police custody, reported New Straits Times (NST). 

The police also seized an array of items, including ransom money and items totalling RM264,440 (S$82,800), said Kumar 

Initial investigations showed that the Singaporean man had entered the country illegally in May this year with the help of one of the kidnappers, and was carrying $12,000 with him, according to local media reports.

His girlfriend is believed to have entered the country legally. 

The man's mother filed a police report on Monday after one of the suspects sent her a photo of her son, who was blindfolded with his arms tied behind his back. 

Kumar said that the kidnappers also slashed the victim on his thighs to show the family they were serious about their demands.

The suspects initially demanded a ransom of $80,000 for the victim's release, but the amount was negotiated to $25,000, reported NST. 

The victim's mother reportedly transferred $5,000 into her son's bank account and the remaining sum was to be dropped off at the time of his release.

The police are reportedly investigating how the victim entered the country illegally.

He has been remanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act, said Kumar. 

AsiaOne has reached out to the police, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Narcotics Bureau for more information. 

Similar case earlier this week

Kumar noted that this was the second case in a week where Malaysian police rescued a Singaporean kidnap victim, highlighting their close cooperation with the Singapore Police Force.

A  72-year-old male Singaporean was rescued by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) in Kedah on Aug 7 and was believed to have been kidnapped by a syndicate linked to two other reported cases.

Besides the Singaporean man, a female Chinese national in her 30s was also rescued.

Further investigations subsequently led to the arrest of one Malaysian and five Chinese nationals, all of whom are in their 20s to 40s, according to the RMP. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly used social media and online platforms, including Telegram, WeChat and Badoo to establish friendship with potential victims.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com