6-year-old kidnapped in Johor Bahru safely found in S'gor

6-year-old kidnapped in Johor Bahru safely found in S'gor

Published: Jul 23, 2024 2:38 PM


Police have found the six-year-old girl who went missing in Johor Bahru on Saturday.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan confirmed the victim was found in the Batang Kali area.

In a press conference soon after, Johor police chief M Kumar also said Albertine Leo Jia Hui was safely found.

According to Kumar, the girl was rescued from a budget hotel in Batang Kali where they also arrested a 31-year-old man for kidnapping her.

“The victim was rescued this morning and the suspect was arrested in Batang Kali, in the Kuala Kubu Baharu district at about 4am today.

“The victim is safe and the suspect has been taken to Johor for further investigations.

“Besides this, police have also arrested two men and two women yesterday to assist in investigations,” he said.

Johor police chief M Kumar


Kumar said the case is being investigated under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

Section 14(a) deals with physical assault on a child through touching any body part of a child.


Remand order

Kumar said the five suspects arrested so far are all locals, aged between 30 and 45.

Initial investigation showed they had no relationship with the victim.

Police have secured a four-day remand order against each of the four suspects arrested in Johor, while police expect to apply for the fifth suspect’s remand later today.

“We are still investigating their motive,” the state police chief said, adding that the family did not receive any ransom call throughout the episode.

When pressed by the media on why police are also investigating the incident under the sexual offences act, Kumar said they want to check whether the kidnappers had wrongly touched the victim.

So far, he added, there was no sign of abuse but the police have sent her for medical checks at a government hospital.

The preschooler reportedly went missing from a shopping mall in Iskandar Puteri on Saturday.

In a statement, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi urged the public against speculating on the case, as it could jeopardise investigations.

“May justice prevail and this case concludes in a good and just way,” he said, further congratulating the police for their swift action, and the public’s information on the matter.