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©New
Sunday Times (Used by permission)
by Neville Spykerman
KAPAR: A quick-thinking 13-year-old girl escaped from her kidnappers by jumping
out of a moving van minutes after being abducted at a bus stop near Sungai Indah
Kapar yesterday.
The Form One student, who was gagged and had her hands tied
by five men, pounced on what could have been her only chance of fleeing when the
van door flung open while negotiating a bend.
She fell barely 20 metres from a police beat base but continued running until
members of the public came to her rescue.
While the incident comes as a surprise to residents here, what was more shocking
was the victim's revelation that she saw a picture of 5-year-old Sharlinie Mohd
Nashar, who was kidnapped, in Taman Medan, on Jan 9.
She told police that the men, who appeared to be drunk, also had pictures of
other young girls in the van with some faces marked with an "X".
Klang police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Mat Yusop,
who confirmed that a manhunt was under way, said they had yet to ascertain the
accuracy of claims that a picture of Sharlinie was among the pictures of girls
in the van.
"She may have seen a missing person poster of Sharlinie which was widely
distributed to the public but investigations are under way."
Technician K. Pradu, 23, who had seen her earlier as she walked past his shop,
said he later saw her running in the distance.
"I thought she had wanted to cross the road to go to the bus stop but shortly
after, I saw her running and falling down several times."
Pradu, who got into his van and drove towards her, found the girl gagged and her
hands bound. He and other members of the public took several minutes to calm
her.
"We then drove her to a nearby police station."
According to the girl, she was at the bus stop when the men drove up and ordered
her to get into the van.
When she refused, they pulled her and drove off.
She told police that she recognised two of her abductors whom, she claimed, had
robbed her family more than a year ago.
She said they had spoken among themselves during the incident about holding her
for ransom.
Police took her to the Klang district police headquarters to have her statement
recorded.
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