Security personnel carrying out investigations at the restaurant in Sandakan
KOTA KINABALU: Gunmen linked to the Abu Sayyaf stormed into a popular seaside restaurant near Sandakan and abducted the manager and a customer during dinner on Thursday.
The four men, one armed with an automatic rifle with bullets strapped on his chest and another with a pistol, burst into the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant at about 7.40pm prompting the patrons to flee.
The restaurant owner, Chung Yan Tsim, said his 48-year-old sister-in-law, who manages the restaurant, and the customer, believed to be from Sarawak, were bundled off by the gunmen in the raid lasting less than a minute.
"They fled in a boat. There wore no mask and there was no shooting," Chung said, adding that the customer was sitting with his family but could not run away when the gunmen barged into the restaurant.
Security forces have gone on an immediate alert as Sandakan is only about an hour's ride on speed boat from the southern Philippines island Bakungan Besar.
A massive operation is underway to hunt the group believed to be cross-border kidnap gangs linked to the terror Abu Sayyaf kidnap groups that operate in southern Philippines.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) commander Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun when contacted said they were at the scene and taking necessary action.
He declined to say anything further.
Sabah police have been hunting for a suspected armed gang of seven men spotted at a plantation in Kinabatangan about 100kms from Sandakan earlier this month.
They were also investigating a robbery of an outboard engine at a lobster farm in Semporna on May 7.
Chen
SANDAKAN: Security forces have cut off sea borders with southern Philippines to stop suspected Filipino gunmen from fleeing Sabah.
The order was to intercept the gunmen as a massive hunt gets underway for at least four to six gunmen who staged a daring kidnap of two Malaysians from a busy seafood restaurant close to the town here on Thursday.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jamaluddin Abd Rahman said the navy and maritime helicopters were combing the sea borders together with all available vessels to intercept the suspects in the open sea.
"The order is to intercept the kidnappers tonight (Thursday)," he said in a statement at 11pm.
He said based on CCTV footage, four gunmen had arrived in a boat at the Restoran Ocean King Seafood using the rear stairway at about 7.30pm.
They immediately grabbed the restaurant manageress, Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, and a Sarawakian electrical consultant working in Cambodia, Bernard Chen, 39.
They fled in the boat towards open sea, he said, adding that three of them were in camouflaged uniforms while another was wearing camouflage pants and a blue t-shirt.
He said one of them was armed with a long gun with bullets strapped over his chest while another with a pistol," he said, adding that police would update the public with new developments.
Security personnel carrying out investigations at the restaurant in Sandakan
PETALING JAYA: Two siblings known as the Muktadil Brothers are believed to be behind Thursday's abduction of a restaurant owner and customer at a popular seaside restaurant in Sandakan.
According to Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the incident happened at around 7.40pm at the Ocean King resturant at Jalan Batu Sapi in Sandakan.
According to Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the incident happened at around 7.40pm at the Ocean King resturant at Jalan Batu Sapi in Sandakan.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police have not ruled out militants in carrying out the daring abduction.
The two victims were identified as Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, the manager of the restaurant, and Bernard Then Ted Fen, 39, an electrical consultant based in Cambodia.
“Four kidnappers went to the restaurant using two M16 guns and a pistol. We could not get the boat description. Early intelligence believes that the Muktadil Brother are behind this,” said Ahmad Zahid.
At least four men, believed linked to the Abu Sayyaf kidnap group, had stormed into the restaurant causing the patrons to flee.
Police have been keeping a lookout for the brothers believed to be key suspects in cross border kidnapping and murder in the state.
They believed the Muktadil brothers were still at large in their native southern Philippines.
Nilson Muktadil, who is his 30s, and his 40-something brother Badong @ Adzmil Muktadil, are the main culprits in a number of kidnapping cases in the state’s east coast.
The Star had reported that the Muktadil brothers were born to a life of violent crime, specialising in cross-border kidnapping.
The brothers were part of the southern Philippines’ Tawi-Tawi island-based kidnap-for-ransom group.
He said Nilson had lived in Kampung Bangau-Bangau and was believed to be involved in the April 2 kidnapping of Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29, and Filipino worker Marcy Dayawan, 40.
Together with his sibling, they are believed to have over 40 men for their kidnap-for-ransom activities and four boats equipped with 40HP to 70HP outboard engines.
