Police Crack Suspected Fake Kidnapping Within 24 Hours Under Op Scorpion
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police have solved a suspected fake kidnapping case in less than 24 hours after launching Op Scorpion following a report from a woman who claimed her daughter had been abducted and that kidnappers were demanding RM18,000 in ransom.
The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was found safe at a house in Taman Perniagaan Setia, Johor Bahru at around 3.30pm yesterday after an intensive operation carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Bukit Aman with the assistance of CID teams from Johor and Sarawak.
CID director Datuk M. Kumar said police moved swiftly after receiving a report from the victim’s 43-year-old mother, who alleged that her daughter had been kidnapped and that the perpetrators demanded RM18,000 for her release.
The report was lodged at the Padawan district police headquarters in Sarawak, prompting authorities to immediately establish a special task force to investigate the case and locate the victim.
“Upon receiving the report, police formed a special team comprising officers from Bukit Aman as well as Johor and Sarawak CID units.
“Based on intelligence gathering and operational information, the victim was successfully located and rescued in Johor Bahru in less than 24 hours,” he said in a statement today.
Kumar said police also arrested a 27-year-old man during the operation to assist in the investigation.
Preliminary background checks revealed that the suspect has three previous criminal records involving two drug-related offences and one other criminal case.
Police also seized four mobile phones believed to be linked to the investigation.
However, as investigators interviewed the victim and examined the circumstances surrounding the incident, they began to uncover inconsistencies in her account.
According to Kumar, several aspects of the alleged kidnapping raised doubts, prompting police to widen the scope of the investigation to determine whether the incident had been staged.
“Initial investigations have revealed certain inconsistencies and doubts regarding the kidnapping narrative provided by the victim.
“As a result, the woman has also been detained to assist investigations under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961,” he said.
He added that police will seek remand orders against both individuals to facilitate further investigations.
The actual motive behind the incident remains unclear and police are not ruling out the possibility that additional individuals may have been involved.
Kumar said the success of Op Scorpion once again demonstrated the capability and readiness of the Royal Malaysia Police in dealing with serious and high-profile cases.
He noted that close cooperation between investigation teams from different contingents enabled authorities to act quickly and resolve the case within a short period.
“This case reflects the commitment of the police force to ensuring public safety at all times.
“We will carry out a thorough and professional investigation to determine exactly what happened and take the necessary legal action against anyone found to have violated the law,” he said.
Kumar also advised the public not to speculate or spread unverified information regarding the case.
He warned that circulating inaccurate or false information could interfere with investigations and create unnecessary fear among the public.
“We urge the public to allow the police to conduct a complete investigation and wait for official announcements before making any conclusions.
“The police will provide updates from time to time once investigations progress,” he said.
