4 S'wakian hostages freed
Published on: Thursday, June 09, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: The four Malaysian sailors who were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf gunmen in April have been freed, a Philippine army spokesman said.They were released at about midnight on Tuesday, but it was not immediately clear if a ransom had been paid. Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Filemon Tan Jr told reporters the four were brought to the shoreline of Barangay Higat in Parang, Sulu.
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Upon reaching the area, they immediately boarded a speedboat to Sandakan."We have yet to confirm whether ransom money was paid in exchange for the safe release of the victims," Tan said, adding that the kidnapping was led by Abu Sayyaf leader Madjan Sahidjuan, also known as Apuh Mike.According to Tan, they received information that the freed victims arrived in Sandakan at 6am Wednesday.Meanwhile, Malaysian police on Wednesday evening confirmed the release of the four.
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Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the news, which had been circulating since afternoon, was true."It's true (they have been released). They are okay," he said.
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The four, part of the crew of a tugboat travelling between Tawau and the Philippines, were abducted in the international waters off Ligitan, near Semporna, on April 1.They are brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Wong Teck Chii, 29, Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, and Wong Hung Sing, 34, all from Sibu, Sarawak.The Abu Sayyaf had earlier demanded a ransom of RM18 million (P190 million) in exchange for the freedom of the victims.Abu Sayyaf, a group linked to the Islamic State, have become notorious for kidnapping, earning millions of dollars in ransom.The militants regularly abduct foreigners and locals to extort money for their release. In May, the Abu Sayyaf released 14 Indonesian sailors who had been kidnapped in two high-seas raids similar to the abduction of the Malaysians.The kidnappings prompted Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to launch joint patrols in their waters and set up a security hotline. In April, the Abu Sayyaf beheaded Canadian hostage John Ridsdel after a deadline for paying a ransom of US$6.4 million passed.In November last year, they killed a Malaysian, Bernard Then, from Sarawak, who was kidnapped together with a Malaysian woman at a restaurant in Sandakan, but the woman was later freed.Ridsdel was kidnapped along with a Canadian friend, a Norwegian man and a Filipina, from aboard yachts at a marina in the southern Philippines in September last year.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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