A business trip in Penang for two brothers last Sunday turned into a different kind of transaction when they ended up being held hostage for a ransom of US$250,000.
The police had been alerted to the case by the fiancée of one of the Singaporean siblings on Monday night, TODAY reports. An unknown Malaysian mobile number had contacted her, demanding S$350,748 for the release of her 28-year-old fiancé.
The fiancé and his 27-year-old brother were fortunately rescued unharmed by the police in Malaysia on Wednesday. A total of eight people have been arrested in connection to the case, four of whom were Malaysian, while the rest were Singaporean.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Police Intelligence Department (PID) immediately commenced investigations, coordinating efforts with the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The suspects’ identities as well as the location of the two Singaporean victims were established, and the rescue operation was carried out on Wednesday.
RMP officers raided a hotel in Penang, where the Singaporeans were held hostage, and arrested the four Malaysian captors. On the same day, officers here arrested the four Singaporean suspects — a man and three women aged between 26 and 54.
The identities of the kidnapped businessmen were undisclosed in media reports. More details to follow when the suspects face their charges in court.
