The fish farm in Pulau Baik off Silam, Lahad Datu, where Chinese national Yang Zai Lin (inset) was kidnapped yesterday. Photo: Norasikin Daineh/New Straits Times
KOTA KINABALU, May 7, 2014: Five gunmen had a specific target in mind when they kicked open a worker’s room door at a fish farm in Pulau Baik off Silam, Lahad Datu, yesterday.
The gunmen struck the farm belonging to Wonderful Terrace Sdn Bhd, a company owned by a Hong Kong national, at 2.45am.
Of the five, two were carrying M-16 rifles and wore masks and camouflaged uniform, while the others were in civilian clothing.
They went to the staff quarters and asked for Chinese national Yang Zai Lin, 34, who is the manager.
Upon hearing the commotion, Yang, who was next door, went to investigate and was abducted by the gunmen. He was taken their boat and they fled to the open sea.
Yesterday, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the gunmen, who spoke Bajau language, had switched to a boat with more powerful engines halfway towards Mataking waters off Semporna, which was where security forces detected them at 6.20am.
Special task force and marine police personnel from the Eastern Sabah Security Command gave chase and were involved in a shootout with the men.
“One of the gunmen opened fire, forcing our security forces to retaliate during the hour-long pursuit.
“The gunmen fled towards Alice Reef, which is between the Malaysian and Philippines border, and entered Saluag village in southern Sibutu island.”
Hamza said security forces were forced to withdraw because of safety concerns after the gunmen entered the village in southern Philippines.
“We have informed our Philippine counterparts. We have identified four suspects in their 30s and 40s and another in his 50s.”
Hamza was unable to confirm whether the suspects were from the same group that robbed four fishermen at Tanjung Labian near Lahad Datu on Sunday evening.
Following the incident, police detained 19 workers comprising eight Indonesians and 11 Filipinos.
Hamza said security at the fish farm was minimal. This was the second kidnapping of foreign nationals in Sabah in a little over a month.
On April 2, seven gunmen abducted Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29, and Filipino worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, from Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort off Semporna.
source: New Straits Times
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