Daily Times

GEORGE TOWN: Police are looking for V. Hemasekar, suspected of involvement in kidnapping a Bangladeshi last Monday. Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said 11 others have been caught, including the alleged kidnap mastermind but the 20-year-old has eluded capture. “He is known as Salsa and we are now hunting him down after 11 of his accomplices have been arrested,” he told reporters today. He added that the alleged mastermind, 23, and 10 others aged between 19 and 26, were arrested at different locations around George Town after the 29-year-old victim was released at Bayan Lepas on May 4. All 11 are said to be jobless with criminal records and are on remand till May 10. “We also seized 12 sets of handphones, RM5,000 and equipment they used to kidnap and beat up the victim,” he said. He said the victim, who has been living in Malaysia for over 15 years with a valid permit and passport, was kidnapped as he was driving out of his house compound on Monday. His disappearance was discovered when one of the suspects forced the victim to contact his friends to demand for ransom. “The victim’s friend contacted the victim’s brother in Bangladesh and asked that he banked in RM5,000 into the suspect’s account,” he said. After the sum was banked in, the suspect demanded for an additional RM15,000 ransom, Mior said. He said the victim’s brother banked in another RM9,000 into the suspect’s account on Wednesday after the suspect threatened to kill the victim if his ransom demands were not met. After the ransom was paid, Mior said the victim was freed but he was injured, believed due to being beaten by the suspects. “He was held captive in a house before he was freed and after he was found with injuries all over his body, he was sent to the Penang Hospital and was given outpatient treatment,” he said.