7 held and RM600,000 recovered after businessman and aide are released.THE spending spree of a gang of kidnappers was cut short when police arrested seven suspects and recovered more than RM600,000 of the RM850,000 ransom paid for the release of a businessman and his aide.
The businessman, 31, and his aide, 45, were grabbed by the kidnappers in Ijok, Kuala Selangor, on Monday afternoon.
Their families were contacted and a ransom of RM2 million was demanded for their release. After negotiations, the sum was brought down to RM850,000.
The victims were released on Tuesday night in Ayer Hitam, Ijok, after the ransom was paid.
Selangor police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said police then arrested seven suspects, between the ages of 21 and 47, including two women.
"Two of the men had a long list of convictions," Tun Hisan said at the Selangor police headquarters here yesterday.
He said the first suspect was a 47-year-old with 27 convictions.
Police then raided several locations in Bukit Raja and Kapar, Klang, Sentul, Kota Damansara and Taiping, Perak, where the rest of the suspects were picked up.
Police recovered RM616,520, believed to be part of the ransom, and seized four cars, 14 handphones and several pieces of jewellery recently bought in Taiping.
"The kidnappers had spent some of the ransom to buy four new tyres and rims for one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping."
The suspects are remanded until Tuesday while a manhunt is on for the remaining suspects.
