"My son has given to them five watches, a laptop, RM1,000 in cash and gold items such as bracelets and necklaces worth about RM30,000 in total" -- Chen Jan Chin, 38, mother of the 15-year old victim
For the past six months, a terrified schoolboy has given as much as RM30,000 in cash and valuables to several youths who threatened to beat him up.
But 15-year-old Donny Chen, a Form Two student at SMK Sungai Tapang Batu 7 here, finally let the secret out when he was questioned by his parents.
And the people who extorted from him were two schoolmates and two outsiders, said his mother Chen Jan Chin, 38.
"My son has given to them five watches, a laptop, RM1,000 in cash and gold items such as bracelets and necklaces worth about RM30,000 in total."
She was speaking with her father Chen Vun Nyap at the Democratic Action Party headquarters yesterday.
She said there were signs that all was not well with her son.
The boy's predicament was uncovered when his grandfather, Vun Nyap, discovered that his five watches were missing.
"One of the extortionists even came to my house once, according to Donny, to ask for money. When Donny could not find money, he gave the extortionist his laptop."
She lodged a police report on the same day and confronted the school principal, Bekon Jenet, on Feb 28.
Jenet said yesterday that he was shocked by what had happened.
"The student concerned did not inform us. We only got to know of it yesterday when his parent and grandparents came.
"We took immediate action by helping the parents to identify the other students who were involved," Jenet said.
Kuching District Police Chief ACP Mum Kok Keong said three men, aged 20 to 22, were arrested -- two of them on Feb 27 and the other yesterday.
Mum could not say whether any students of the school were involved, adding that the police were still investigating.
