The kidnappers arrested in Malaysia for the abduction of 12-year-old Nayati Moodliar could be executed, the country’s government has confirmed.
Police this morning confirmed that five people had been arrested - four men and a woman. Reports said a sixth, the alleged mastermind, had fled the country.
Interpol’s help was now being sought to track him down as well as another suspect.
Bakri Zinin, federal criminal investigation chief, said the suspects were arrested in separate raids from Sunday until early Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur and nearby areas..
The New Straits Times said the arrested suspects were aged between 30 and 50.
“Sources said part of the 300 000 ringgit (R768 745) ransom paid to secure the boy’s release last Thursday was also recovered.
“Nayati’s parents, Shamelin Moodliar and Janice Smith, both originally from Cape Town, communicated with the kidnappers via Facebook to negotiate the ransom down from one million ringgit.
“Police also seized laptops and cellphones said to be used to demand for ransom.”
The Malaysian Insider reported today: “The mastermind behind the sensational abduction of 12-year-old Nayati Shamelin Moodliar fled the country immediately after the Dutch boy was released last week.”
Federal CID chief Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said police were seeking Interpol’s help to trace the man.
He confirmed today that five people - four men and a woman - had been arrested in connection with the abduction.
The arrests followed several days of surveillance by a task force headed by city Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah, and police picked up the suspects’ trail not long after Nayati was dropped off at the Rawang rest and recreation area on the North-South Expressway last Thursday morning.
“The suspects had allegedly gone separate ways after collecting the ransom,” the Malaysian Insider said.
The kidnappers had apparently been assigned different duties during the abduction.
“One was tasked with kidnapping him, another hiding and taking care of him, one to negotiate with the parents and another to collect the ransom,” a source of the New Straits Times said.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohmad Salleh spelt out the possible punishment the four faced, if found guilty, saying at a press conference, according to the Malaysian Insider: “Police are still investigating the case under the Kidnapping Act, and if found guilty, the suspects will receive the death sentence.” - Cape Argus