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Published : Friday May 15, 2015
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| Ocean King Restaurant owner and a local were kidnapped tonight. – Photo courtesy of crazydigest.blogspot.com |
SANDAKAN: A man and a woman were kidnapped by four armed assailants from a famous seafood restaurant in Sandakan last night. The manager of Ocean King Restaurant, Chung Yung Tiam, 60, who managed to escape from the kidnappers, said the woman,
Thien Nyuk Fun, who was kidnapped was his sister-in-law. Nyuk Fun, 50, is also his partner. The other victim was a man known as Bernard Ghen Ted Fen, 39. “Four men who were armed and wearing camouflaged army uniform suddenly climbed up the staircase of the restaurant that was built on water, at about 8pm,” he said when met outside the restaurant.
He said he, his workers and some of his customers managed to escape from the assailants but later realised that his sister-in-law was not among them. The customer and Nyuk Fun were bundled off by the gunmen in the raid lasting less than a minute, Chung said. “Everything happened so fast.
Everyone panicked and started shouting when four men, all dressed in camouflaged attire, suddenly appeared in the restaurant,” he said. “They wore no mask and there was no shooting,” Chung said, adding that the customer was sitting with his family but could not run away when the gunmen barged into the restaurant.
They fled in a boat. Chung said there were about 100 people in his restaurant at the time, including children. Chung said the abductors were not even bothered with money since they left without even taking any from the cash box at the counter. “I overheard one of the customers saying that at least two more people were seen waiting in the boat.
They were saying that that the boat was rather old,” Chung said. “After lodging a police report, I don’t know what else to do. I guess I have to wait by the phone in case the abductors call for ransom,” added Chung. The restaurant, situated about 3km from Sandakan town, is reputed to be the best seafood restaurant in Sandakan and situated in Pasir Putih, along Jalan Bokara.
Security forces have immediately launched a massive operation to track down the kidnappers and victims. Sandakan is only about an hour’s ride on speed boat from the southern Philippines island Bakungan Besar. Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) commander Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun when contacted said they were at the scene and taking necessary action.
Yesterday’s kidnapping happened after two armed robbery cases were reported in Kinabatangan on April 13 and 17. Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) will cooperate with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) and the General Operation Force (GOF) to track down the suspects who were involved in the two armed robbery cases. On April 13 plantation manager Yuen Wing Wah, 50, was killed while the owner, Danny Wong, in his 30s, sustained gunshot wound on the chest after they were robbed by two employees who fled with RM18,000 workers’ salary at Mile 4, Sukau in Kinabatangan.
Four days later, a 50-year-old sundry shop owner was robbed and shot by one of the four robbers who had earlier asked for a ride. Meanwhile, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman when contacted via WhatsApp said police were still waiting for the report of the incident.
Jalaluddin said the male customer who was kidnapped worked as an electrical consultant in Combodia, while the ESSCom commander confirmed this. - Borneo Post
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# News Article (The Star)
PETALING JAYA: Two siblings known as the Muktadil Brothers are believed to be behind Thursday's abduction of a restaurant owner and customer at a popular seaside restaurant in Sandakan. According to Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the incident happened at around 7.40pm at the Ocean King resturant at Jalan Batu Sapi in Sandakan.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police have not ruled out militants in carrying out the daring abduction. The two victims were identified as Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, the manager of the restaurant, and Bernard Then Ted Fen, 39, an electrical consultant based in Cambodia. “Four kidnappers went to the restaurant using two M16 guns and a pistol.
We could not get the boat description. Early intelligence believes that the Muktadil Brother are behind this,” said Ahmad Zahid. At least four men, believed linked to the Abu Sayyaf kidnap group, had stormed into the restaurant causing the patrons to flee.
Police have been keeping a lookout for the brothers believed to be key suspects in cross border kidnapping and murder in the state. They believed the Muktadil brothers were still at large in their native southern Philippines. Nilson Muktadil, who is his 30s, and his 40-something brother Badong @ Adzmil Muktadil, are the main culprits in a number of kidnapping cases in the State’s east coast.
The Star had reported that the Muktadil brothers were born to a life of violent crime, specialising in
cross-border kidnapping. The brothers were part of the southern Philippines’ Tawi-Tawi island-based kidnap-for-ransom group. He said Nilson had lived in Kampung Bangau-Bangau and was believed to be involved in the April 2 kidnapping of Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29, and Filipino worker Marcy Dayawan, 40.
Together with his sibling, they are believed to have over 40 men for their kidnap-for-ransom activities and four boats equipped with 40HP to 70HP outboard engines. _ The Star
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Sandakan kidnapping: Inside job, says Sabah police commissioner.
# News Article (The Sun Daily)
Published : Sunday, 17 May, 2015
KOTA KINABALU: The kidnapping case of a man and a woman at Ocean King Restaurant in Sandakan three days ago is likely masterminded by "insiders", said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman.
He said the suspected "insiders" had conspired to give information about the targets and that the matter was being investigated.
"Police received information about an abduction occurring in Sabah and Sandakan was one of the locations.
"The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) led by Datuk (Abdul) Rashid Harun has been carrying out Integrated Operations in Sandakan focussing on hot spots and areas harbouring illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, the abduction occurred in an unanticipated area," he said in a statement via WhatsApp today.
He said the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and ESScom) were intensifying security measures so that such abductions do not recur.
Jalaluddin also confirmed that both the victims' families received phone calls from a party claiming to be the kidnappers demanding a high ransom that cannot be revealed to the public.
He said that until now both the families had also refused to lodge police reports despite being advised by the police to do so.
He also denied allegations that the families were threatened not to involve the police to secure their release.
The two kidnap victims were reported safe and were now at one of the islands in the southern Philippines, he added.
On Thursday, four gunmen stormed the Ocean King restaurant and kidnapped the man and the woman in the presence of about 100 customers, including children.
Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, who is the sister-in-law of the restaurant manager, was one of those kidnapped in the 7.45pm incident. The other victim was Bernard Then Ted Fen, 39, from Sarawak, who worked as an electrical consultant in Cambodia. – Bernama
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Kidnappers contact family of victims and demand huge ransom.
# News Article (The Sun Daily)
Published : Sunday, 17 May, 2015
SANDAKAN: South Philippines gunmen who abducted the co-owner and a customer of a restaurant here on Thursday evening contacted the families of the victims today and demanded an "enormous ransom".
Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman, who declined to reveal the ransom amount, said police have interviewed the families of 50-year-old restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun and 39-year-old Bernard Then Ted Fen to gather more details on the call they received from the abductors.
He said both families are reluctant to lodge police reports although police have advised them to do so.
Jalaluddin said police learnt that both victims are being held together on an island off South Philippines and are reported to be in good health.
He said based on initial investigations, police believe the abductors had relied on information from an accomplice here who had picked out a "lucrative" target for them.
"From our intelligence reports, we were aware that these gunmen were planning an abduction at a spot in Sandakan and a joint-operation led by Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun (Eastern Sabah Security Command commander) was launched to safeguard hotspots and other high-risk areas.
However, it is very unfortunate that the kidnapping occurred at a spot that was least expected to be a target. We are doing our best to ensure no recurrence of such attacks take place," he said today.
He said a curfew order on the shores of six districts, which is in its 19th phase and expired today, will be extended to the 20th phase today until June 2. The curfew areas extend from the shore to about three nautical miles out to sea.
Jalaluddin said those who intend to carry out fishing activities or need to use the affected areas for travel during curfew will be required to obtain a special police permit. - The Sun Daily
