GEORGE TOWN: Police rescued a Syrian man, who was kidnapped by his fellow countrymen, in less than 24 hours on Thursday.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Huzir Mohamed said the brother of the victim lodged a police report at 5.30pm on that day that his brother, who is in his 20s, had been kidnapped by a group of men at a restaurant in the Tanjung Tokong area.
“The suspects demanded a ransom of RM100,000 to be deposited into a bank account belonging to a local and that payment be made within two hours,” he told reporters here today.
Huzir said police immediately traced the suspects and arrested three Syrian men, aged between 30 and 50, and a local woman, in her 30s, in a Proton Persona car outside a fast food restaurant in Batu Ferringhi at 9pm on Thursday.
The victim was found with his hands tied with adhesive tape in the car, he said.
According to Huzir, one of the Syrian men and the local woman tested positive for drugs and that all the suspects were under remand until June 13 to facilitate investigations.
He said initial investigations found the victim knew the suspects and all the Syrian men were United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders.
In another development, Huzir also urged anyone with information on a June 3 armed robbery, involving 5kg of gold valued at RM900,000 in Seberang Perai Tengah here, to contact the nearest police station or Insp Alagesh at 014-6389195 or 04-2221522.
