Cop among three held for raping Vietnamese tourist

JOHOR BARU: A policeman is among three men arrested for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a 22-year-old Vietnamese tourist.

The policeman, a L/Kpl in his 30s, was arrested within hours of the victim lodging a report.

His two accomplices, in their 30s and 50s, were picked up during raids here yesterday.

Sources said investigations revealed that the woman, who is a college student in Vietnam, arrived at an apartment in Jalan Pasir Pelangi in a taxi with another female friend, who is also a Vietnamese, at 3am on Saturday.

It is learnt that they were then approached by three men claiming to be plainclothes policemen, asking to check their passports.

Sources said that the victim’s friend ran off, leaving her behind. Both women were without their passports then.

It is learnt that the woman tried to explain that her passport was at her home but the men refused to listen to her.

Apparently, they forced her into a car and drove her to the house of one of the culprits and took turns to rape her.

Sources said the culprits locked the woman up for at least 12 hours before sending her back to the apartment the next day.

The victim then lodged a police report and was sent for a medical check-up.

She and her friend have been holidaying in the country since last month.

A special police team was formed and within hours, they managed to track down the suspects based on close circuit camera footage from the apartment’s security post.

All three men have since been remanded and investigations are under way.

Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Sulaiman Salleh confirmed the arrests but declined to elaborate.