Ransom demand made for kidnapped fishermen

KOTA KINABALU: The family of one of three recently abducted Indonesians fishermen has received a ransom demand from their kidnappers.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said according to their Philippines counterparts, the kidnappers had made the call a few days after the Sept 23 incident.

“But we were not told how much the kidnappers demanded in ransom, ” he said.

The kidnappers had urged the family to raise money to make payments as fast as possible, he added.

Seven heavily-armed kidnappers from the Philippines grabbed three Indonesian men from a Sandakan-registered fishing trawler in waters off Tambisan at about noon, on the day of the incident.

The Indonesians are Samiun Maniu, 27, Maharuydin Lunani, 48, and Muhammas Farhan, 27.

The kidnappers took the fishermen to the Tawi Tawi island chain before heading to Jolo.

Meanwhile, on Oct 2, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) has mobilised assets to key areas after Philippine intelligence reports indicated Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen were on their way to kidnap high-value targets.

Esscom commander Datuk Huzani Ghazali said they are on high alert following the intelligence report on Sept 30.

The intelligence report indicated nine Abu Sayyaf gunmen left their Jolo stronghold and were heading towards Sabah’s Mataking and Pom Pom island in Semporna.

According to the reports, the group was targeting tourists and crew members of fishing vessels.

Mataking, which is dotted with holiday resorts, is close to the sea border of the Philippines’ Tawi Tawi island chain.