Gunmen seize Malaysian trader

  ZAMBOANGA CITY ,Philippines  – Gunmen, suspected to be members of the Abu Sayyaf group, abducted a Malaysian, who was in Sulu province engaged in buying gecko lizards, the military reported yesterday.

Sulu police identified the victim as Mohammad Nasarudin bin Saidin, 38, a Malaysian national from Kuala Lumpur, who was seized last Sunday midnight from the house was staying at Sitio Bautan State, Barangay Kahatian, Indanan town.

Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said they have received the reported abduction but they were confirming the information. “The reports state that the victim was engaged in buying tuko (gecko lizard),” Cabangbang said.

Sulu provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Antonio Preyra reported that the victim arrived in the country and went to Sulu along with a companion identified as a certain Abdulgapar bin Akirullah. It was not immediately ascertain if Akirullah is a Malaysian.

The two reportedly stayed in the house of a certain Benhar Mahadil while in Indanan town.

The police said 10 armed gunmen came and barged into the house and forcibly seized Saidin about 12 midnight Sunday. The gunmen also took the victim’s passport, bank book, three cellphones and watches, and other personal belongings before dragging away the victim toward unknown direction.

The abduction of Saidin has brought the number of captives to five in Sulu alone. On April 29, the Abu Sayyaf militants abducted Filipino-Chinese businessman Nelson Lim in Jolo, capital town of Sulu.

Lim, 56, owner of Times Hardware and Plaza Panceteria, was abducted by seven suspected Abu Sayyaf militants who demanded P5 million ransom.

The police and military said that a separate group of gunmen believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf group have been holding captive three crews of a fishing boat on March 19 off the waters of Sulu.

The military said the three abducted victims – Renato Panisales, boat captain; Wennie Ferrer assistant engineer; and Jonald Ocsimar, quarter master of Mega 8 light boat, all working with the Mega Fishing Co., and producer of the Mega Sardines based in this city – were brought to Patikul area.

The kidnappers were also separately demanding P4 million ransom for each of the three fishing boat crews.

The Sulu provincial government have also rejected negotiations with the suspected Abu Sayyaf to discourage the militants from continuously engaging in kidnapping activities.         – With Jaime Laude