Semporna kidnapping: Massive hunt for missing Taiwanese woman and gunmen
KOTA KINABALU: Security is on high alert as a massive sea and air hunt was launched for Filipino gunmen who abducted a Taiwanese tourist and shot dead her husband at an island resort off Semporna.
Pulau Pom Pom, is a 45-minute boat ride from Semporna, and is popular with tourists from China and Taiwan who enjoy the sun, sea and surf.
No demands have been made by any armed group for the 58-year-old woman identified as An Wei Chang. Her 57-year-old husband, Lim Min Hsu, was found dead with two bullet wounds on his chest.
The gunmen who arrived in a pump boat and raided Pom Pom Island and Spa Resort water villas at about 1am Friday had fled toward Pulau Mataking close to southern Philippines.
There were no immediate signs of the gunmen who staged the daring raid at the resort hardly a kilometre away from a General Operations Force base.
The security forces have cut off all sea routes into neighbouring southern Philippines.
According to sources, security forces are trying to establish the group involved in the shooting and kidnapping.
Senior security officials have remained tight lipped over the on going operations while some sources said that they were trying to establish if the gunmen came from southern Philippines.
The latest incident sent fresh shockwaves among Sabahans especially after the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) following the Feb12 Sulu intrusion into Kg Tanduo in Lahad Datu.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed the incident, saying it occurred about 1 am and the Chinese couple were believed to be married.
The dead tourist has been identified as Lim Min Hsu while the missing woman was identified as An Wei Chang.
It is understood that the gunmen also ransacked three of the six water villas before fleeing.
Sources say there were 48 people, most of them tourists, at the resort at the time of the incident.
A supervisor at the resort, who gave his name as Leonardo, told the Borneo Insider that he had heard gun shots at about 1am and quickly reported to the General Operations Force (PGA) camp nearby.
These are the villas where the man was shot dead and the woman kidnapped from. The gunmen also ransacked three of the villas before fleeing.
Leonardo said he ran to the PGA camp to alert the policemen based there and brought them back to the resort.
Some 15 GOF personnel headed by Sergeant Mokthar, rushed to the resort and on close inspection, the policemen found the body of Lim on the corridor of one of the six villas of the resort’s villas.
Lim’s body had two gunshot wounds – one to his chest and the other in his left rib cage.
Police also recovered four empty shells – one a 5.56mm and 3 6.62mm types.
Lim and the missing woman first arrived at Pom Pom on Tuesday and had booked the villa until next Wednesday.
A PGA source said its personnel did report hearing the sounds of a pump boat moving out from the resort area and headed towards Pulau Mataking at the time of the incident.
At that time, the tide was low and the water level near the coast was less than one meter.
The resort is less than a kilometre away from the PGA base.
All island police bases have been put on full alert and marine police, and other security agencies in the area are patrolling the seas.
Villagers in Semporna said that there were no unusual activities in town but police and military were keeping vigilance
“We heard there were shooting in one of the island but we are not sure what it is all about,” said a Semporna council worker.
In JOHOR BAHARU, Khalid when confirming the incident, said police are on the trail of the suspects.
“The male tourist from China was shot dead, while the woman, whom we believe is his wife, was kidnapped by the group of men,” he told a press conference after visiting the Johor Baharu police headquarters here today.
Details of who the gunmen were and if they were linked to any Filipino groups from the neighbouring southern Philippines.
In late August, nine fishermen from Semporna reported being abducted by Filipino gunmen who wanted directions to the Pulau Mabul diving haven.
They were later abandoned in the sea when the gunmen spotted a GOF post near the resort and fled.
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