Abu Sayyaf is active in waters near Sabah, such as Semporna island from where two people were abducted in early March. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, May 6, 2014.Police detained 19 workers from a fish farm in Pulau Baik, where a Chinese national was abducted this morning, to facilitate investigations.
Sabah police chief Datuk Hamza Taib said of the 19, 11 were Sulu. All are now at the Lahad Datu police headquarters.
In this morning's incident, Yang Zai Lin, 34, was abducted by five gunmen, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf.
Despite engaging the police Special Action Unit in a shootout, the gunmen managed to evade authorities and fled towards southern Philippines.
"The incident occurred at 2.45am today when the five gunmen arrived at a fish farm in Pulau Baik," Hamza said.
"The gunmen went to the staff quarters and questioned a woman on where the manager's room was."
When the gunmen kicked open the woman's door, the sound woke up the manager up who then came out to investigate.
The gunmen grabbed the manager, Yang, from Guangzhou, before bundling him into the boat and fleeing.
"Police were informed about the incident at 2.53am and deployed three boats to pursue the suspects' vessel," Hamza said.
At 6.20am, authorities spotted the kidnappers' vessel near Mataking Island and shots were exchanged.
The speedboat used by the kidnappers, believed to be equipped with 200 horsepower engines, outpaced Malaysian vessels.
Authorities were forced to abandon the pursuit as the kidnappers headed closer and closer towards the Philippines.
Hamza said checks at the fish farm revealed it was owned by Wonderful Terrace Sdn Bhd, a Hong Kong-based company.
"We have contacted our counterparts in the Philippines for assistance."
This is the second abduction to be reported this year following an incident reported in early March.
The incident saw 29-year-old Gao Hua Yun from Shanghai and 40-year-old Marcy Dayawan @ Mimi from the Philippines being abducted from the Singamata Reef Resort on Semporna island.
It occurred several months after a Taiwanese, Chang An Wei, 57, was abducted by armed men from Pom Pom island in November last year.
Chang was freed a month later in December after a sizeable ransom was reportedly paid for her release.
The fate of Gao and Marcy, however, is still not known although it is learned that the kidnappers have demanded for a ransom.
Abu Sayyaf once had links to international militant networks, including al-Qaeda.
But a United States-backed Philippine military crackdown on the group's heartland in the Sulu province in the southern Philippines has weakened it considerably in recent years.
The group has about 300 fighters and is now more focused on kidnapping for ransom than on the jihad cause.
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