KUALA LUMPUR: Some 6 people have been arrested by Malaysian police on Wednesday in connection with the kidnapping of a 12-year-old Dutch boy, who was released last week and returned to his family. The boy, Nayati Moodliar, had been taken while walking to his Mont Kiara International School in an upscale Kuala Lumpur suburb on April 27. He was then discovered by his family last Thursday after kidnappers left him at the pre-arranged rest stop on a highway. Police said a ransom was paid. Bakri Zinin, head of the federal crime investigation department, told local media that police investigating the case had arrested four men and a woman in Kuala Lumpur and northern Malaysia since Monday. The 6 were in custody and under investigation for kidnapping, he said. Police are still looking for two other Malaysians, one of who is believed to have fled to Europe. Bakri said police would alert Interpol about the man. Police have also recovered some of the ransom paid by the Moodliar family for the boy's release, though Bakri declined to reveal any figures. Local media reported the ransom was 300,000 ringgit (S$125,590). The kidnapping drew wide attention with even Prime Minister Najib Razak calling via Twitter for the safe release of the boy, who has dual Dutch and South African nationality. The incident has struck fear in some of the international community, and especially the Dutch community, who believe their country's history in the region could have been a direct cause of the nabbing. “It is definitely something we are looking into and are thinking of new security ways to protect our family,” said one Dutch housewife in the Malaysian capital. But police tell Bikyamasr.com that this is “not a situation we believe is going to spiral out of control and do not believe it was the beginning of a new kidnapping ring.”
