KOTA BARU: Kelantan police say that the actual amount of gold demanded in ransom by four suspects who kidnapped a jewellery shop owner in Palekbang, Tumpat was 80kg with an estimated value of RM40mil and not 30kg.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said they were informed of this by the 44-year-old victim in a statement.
"The investigation also found that the suspects had been blackmailing the victim, who hails from Tumpat, for a long time.
"The victim claimed that the suspects had been demanding protection money for some time, but was too afraid to report it to the police due to concerns including the safety of his family," he said.
He added that the victim also claimed to have handed over cash and jewellery worth millions of ringgit to the suspects over time.
"The investigation revealed that this case primarily involved extortion and escalated into a kidnapping because the victim refused to give (any more) money or gold," he said.
On May 20, a viral video clip showed the victim's vehicle being blocked and was forcibly taken away in a grey car but was later released. – Bernama
