JB cops on the hunt for three locals allegedly involved in boy’s dramatic abduction

JOHOR BARU: Police are searching for three local male suspects for their alleged involvement in an attempted abduction of a seven-year-old boy along Jalan Serampang here.

Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the victim was a Chinese national who has a Singapore permanent resident status and lives in the island republic.

He added that the incident happened at around 4.30pm on Dec 12, not far from the city centre here.

“Police have arrested the main suspect in the case who happens to be a business partner of the victim’s father.

“The 41-year-old suspect, who works as a car mechanic, is believed to be the mastermind along with the three other suspects to kidnap the child and demand RM300,000 as a ransom from the victim’s father.

“However, no ransom was paid as police successfully arrested the main suspect at around 8pm on the day of the incident,” he said in a statement here on Wednesday (Dec 20).

ACP Raub said the main suspect was initially remanded for seven days before being charged under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping.

“We are tracking down the three other suspects who are all locals and in their 30s,” he said, adding that those with information should contact the Johor police hotline at 07-221 2999 or lodge a report at the nearest police station.

A Singapore news portal reported that a Singaporean businessman took his wife and two small children, a girl and a boy, for a trip to Johor Baru as he was planning to invest here.

As he and his wife were viewing inside a shoplot, their two children were playing outside the premises when a car stopped and a man got out of the front passenger seat and grabbed the boy.

As the car drove away, the small girl alerted her parents that her brother was taken away by a stranger.

Fearing for his son’s safety, the businessman then jumped into his car and gave chase to the abductors. He cut the car off and blocked it from moving.

He then punched his fist on the driver’s car window where it shattered and saw his son sitting on the back seat.

The abductors then tried to escape by hitting the businessman’s car but he kept holding on to the doorframe. The businessman was dragged several metres before losing his grip resulting in several injuries to himself.

The abductors then fled on foot, leaving the car behind together with the child inside before members of the public alerted the police.