SEMPORNA: The kidnappers of the two women from the Singamata Reef Resort off Sipadan were also involved in the abduction of a Taiwanese woman from Pom-Pom Island last year and 21 people from Sipadan Island in 2000.
“One of them is believed to be involved in the kidnap of Taiwanese woman on Nov 15 in Pom Pom Island, while the rest are believed to be involved in the Sipadan island kidnapping (of 21 people) in 2000,” Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek said in a statement yesterday.
He said that based on intelligence received, Chinese tourist Gao Huayuan, 29, and Filipina resort employee Marcy Darawan @ Mimi, 40, were being held on an island in southern Philippines by Abu Sayyaf gunmen and were in good shape.
“We believe that this particular kidnap for ransom group is active and aggressive in the southern Philippines,” he said, adding that the local Filipino community might have provided information to the gunmen.