TUMPAT: A gold shop owner endured a harrowing experience after he was abducted by four men for several hours before being released the same day.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the victim was kidnapped in Palekbang here by suspects travelling in a car during the morning incident on May 20.
He said the victim was freed by his captors later that evening.
“Police received a report from the victim’s family on the same day, and an immediate operation was launched to track down the suspects,” he said.
Mohd Yusoff said police believed four individuals were involved in the abduction and suspect they are still in the state, possibly in hiding to evade arrest.
“We have identified two of the four suspects, and efforts to locate them are ongoing.
“This includes tighter inspections at roadblocks across the state to locate the vehicle used in the kidnapping,” he said.
He said the suspects were believed to have used a Suzuki Swift during the incident.
“The victim was released on the same day he was abducted, but we are still investigating the motive behind the incident,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.
He urged anyone with information to come forward to assist in the investigation.
Meanwhile, efforts to interview the 44-year-old victim proved futile as he refused to speak when approached at his home here today.
A witness, who declined to be named, said many villagers were shocked by the incident and only learnt about it through social media.
“We were unaware of what happened until the news about the man’s abduction went viral last week,” said the 41-year-old trader.
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