SANDAKAN: An investigation is underway over claims that a skipper of a fishing trawler was allegedly kidnapped by gunmen in waters off Kertam at Kuala Kinabatangan in Sabah.
The incident is believed to have happened on Wednesday but a police report was only lodged late yesterday by the owner of the trawler.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) director Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Wan Khalid confirmed that the owner of the trawler had lodged a report.
“This does not look like the usual kidnapping. A police investigation is on. I can’t say anything more at the moment”, he said.
It is understood that some ransom calls were made demanding RM1,000, unlike Philippines-based cross-border kidnap groups which immediately make demands for millions of ringgit.
It was learnt that the skipper, an Indonesian, was taken away by the gunmen in a speedboat after they intercepted the trawler.
They took only the skipper and left the two crewmen in the trawler.
The crewmen then made their way to Sandakan before lodging a police report at the marine police base.
Both the crewmen and the vessel have been detained for further investigations.
