KUALA LUMPUR: A Chinese fish farm manager who was kidnapped in May has been released amid a spate of abductions in Malaysia by gunmen based in the Philippines, police said yesterday.
Yang Zai Lin, believed to have been held by militants from the Abu Sayyaf group, has been freed and will return to China, federal police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted by The Star as saying.
Khalid confirmed the report, but declined to comment further.
The 34-year-old was seized near Lahad Datu in eastern Sabah state on Borneo island on May 6, despite stepped-up security along the coast. The area, which is just a short boat ride away from the southern Philippines, is world-renowned for its pristine dive sites but has seen a string of violent kidnappings.
This week Malaysia revamped a special security zone set up along the coast, putting police in charge of cracking down on the worsening crime.
The security zone was set up last year after Islamic guerrillas from the southern Philippines staged a bloody assault in the area. But Malaysian security forces have failed to prevent the attacks.
Afp
