PETALING JAYA: The Indonesian skipper who was kidnapped in the east coast of Sabah has been released in Jolo island. Sources in the southern Philippines island told The Star that Harman Mangga, a 30-year-old skipper of a Sabah-owned fishing trawler, is no longer in the custody of his Abu Sayyaf captors. It is not known whether a ransom was paid for Harman’s release or he was rescued in a military operation. The Star reported that on Aug 3, two crewmen had returned to Sandakan waters with the trawler, claiming that their skipper Harman was being held hostage by gunmen in southern Philippines. The gunmen allegedly took the crewmen and their trawler to a nearby island before moving to another island.

Source: The Star September 20, 2016 08:03 UTC