Three Indonesians have reportedly been abducted in waters off Felda Sahabat 16 near Lahad Datu, Sabah last night.
According to a report by the New Straits Times, the alleged abduction happened at 11.40pm after five gunmen stormed a fishing boat with seven on board.
The daily reported that the gunmen had taken three men along with them on a speedboat and left the four behind.
The tugboat was about 3.6 nautical miles from a nearby Kampung Sinakut beach, Sabah police commissioner Abdul Rashid Harun said, when it was attacked by armed men in a white boat.
He said that based on early investigations, the three men kidnapped were 34-year-old Lorens Koten, 40-year-old Teo Dores Kopong and a 46-year-old identified only as Emanuel.
Abdul Rashid said they are likely to be in the southern Philippines now but did not elaborate. Four other crew members were left behind by the kidnappers who came in a speedboat.
“Victims released also said while the kidnappers were on their tugboat for nearly 30 minutes, no violence took place,” he told reporters at a press conference in Lahad Datu.
The five abductors were armed with rifles and also had a grenade launcher, the police added. — With text from Reuters
