Auxiliary cop masterminded kidnap

Suspect among 29 people held after RM500k ransom paid for businessman’s release

SHAH ALAM: For weeks, cops have been investigating the kidnapping of a businessman who was released after a RM500,000 ransom was paid, not knowing that the mastermind was an auxiliary policeman.

The 42-year-old man, who has 20 years of experience as an auxiliary policeman and even spent six years on duty for a ministry in Putrajaya, masterminded the kidnapping of a transport company manager late last year.

He was among 29 people arrested in January for the kidnap.

Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Mazlan Mansor said police were alerted following the kidnap of the 35-year-old victim in Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh on Dec 12.

“The man was grabbed and bundled into a Perodua MyVi in the incident.

“Following this, a ransom of RM500,000 was demanded by the group and on Jan 3, the victim was released in Bemban, Melaka, once the ransom was paid.

“On that day itself, we arrested three men and seized a Proton Waja,” he told reporters yesterday.

Comm Mazlan said based on interrogation of the three suspects and intelligence gathered, police launched a string of operations in Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur till the end of January.

“We arrested 24 men and five women aged between 20 and 60.

“One of the men arrested was the auxiliary policeman,” he said, adding that he was the mastermind of the group.

He said police also recovered RM124,400 cash and froze two bank accounts containing RM14,000 under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

“We also seized a fake revolver, a Ceska pistol and 490 bullets.

“Eleven of the suspects will be charged at the Shah Alam court today,” he said, adding that the suspects were also involved in robbing six money changers, an abduction case as well as murder of one of their friends in Brickfields.

Meanwhile in an unrelated case, Comm Mazlan said police arrested two men and are looking for one more suspect involved in an extortion racket here.

“We received a report that a man had received a bullet in his mail on Jan 16.

“Following investigations, we arrested a 33-year-old suspect in Ipoh on Jan 23 and another 36-yearold suspect two days later,” he said, adding that they also seized several boxes that were used to send the bullets.

“Investigations revealed the suspects had sent out decorative bullets which they purchased online to 10 victims.

“The suspects were planning to extort the victims for money,” he said, adding that the suspects received information on the victims from a third man still at large.

He said this suspect is believed to have gathered information based on the victims’ fixed deposit accounts.