ZAMBOANGA CITY – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have reportedly demanded P200 million in ransoms in exchange for the safe release of 5 Malaysian sailors they kidnapped in Sabah near the Philippines border.
Borneo Post reported that one of the hostages, Tayudin Anjut, 45, phoned his employer to say that they are being held captive in Basilan, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines.
Anjut said the kidnappers were demanding the ransoms for their freedom, but Philippine military and police authorities could not immediately confirm nor deny the reports.
The sailors – Abd Rahim Summas, 62, Fandy Bakran, 26, Mohd Zumadil Rahim, 23 and Mohd Ridzuan Ismail, 32 – all crew members of the tugboat Seruduna 3, disappeared at sea off Lahad Datu town on July 18.
Malaysian authorities earlier said it has no confirmation whether the Abu Sayyaf was behind the disappearance of the sailors. Their tugboat was recovered by Sabah authorities with its engine still running. The boat was set to return to Semporna after its barge delivered a cargo of stones in Sandakan City also in Sabah, according to the Malaysian media.
The Abu Sayyaf also seized 7 other Indonesian tugboat crewmen on June 22 in the Sulu Sea near the Philippines border and the hostages – Ferry Arifin, the tugboat skipper; M. Mahbrur Dahri, Edi Suryono, Ismail, M.Nasir, M.Sofyan and Robin Piter – were last reported being sighted in Luuk town, local military intelligence reports said.
The boat – owned by PT Rusianto Brothers – was heading to Samarinda in East Kalimantan following a trip from the Philippines when gunmen on speedboats intercepted it. Indonesian media reported that Arifin phoned his wife and told her that they were intercepted at sea by gunmen, who introduced themselves as Abu Sayyaf and were also demanding over P200 million for their safe release.
The Abu Sayyaf previously kidnapped 14 Indonesian tugboat crewmembers in separate attacks at sea off Sabah and brought them to Sulu province and eventually released through the intercession of the Moro National Liberation Front. (Mindanao Examiner)
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