KOTA KINABALU: Police have still not received a demand for ransom for the release of two West Malaysians abducted by five armed men at a bird’s nest house inside an oil palm plantation in Timbun Mata at Kampung Manakayang, off Lahad Datu district on Nov 14.
State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the case was being investigated under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person.
The offence carries a jail term of up to seven years, and shall also be liable to a fine upon conviction.
Hamza added that police were also working closely with their counterparts from a neighbouring country for assistance and have mobilised their forces, which include the marine police, air police unit, General Operation Force as well as getting help from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Navy.
The abductors were said to have gone to the farm house in an outboard boat and made their way to the premises, about two kilometers from the sea between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Nov 14.
They robbed the manager and assistant manager of the plantation of their belongings before ordering them to the boat and escaped in the open waters.
It is said that the victims had earlier pleaded to be released but the suspects only freed the workers and abducted the two cousins, aged 33 and 25, identified by their surname, Tung.
Both the workers ran into the plantation office and told the owner that his son and nephew had been kidnapped by the armed men.
The owner lodged a police report around 4.45pm the same day at Kampung Cenderawashi, about 50km from the plantation.