The kidnapped son of a Ramsey man been released.
Scottish oilman Malcolm Primrose, aged 60, has been released unharmed after being abducted by gunmen in Indonesia’s Aceh province.
Mr Primrose, who works for Medco E&P, was found alone at a security post inside a palm oil plantation, said East Aceh district police chief Lieutenant-Colonel Muhajir.
As we reported yesterday, Mr Primrose’s father, Sid, lives in the island. He found out yesterday that his son had been kidnapped after hearing a radio report.
Malcolm Primrose was kidnapped by up to six gunmen on Tuesday when his car was ambushed in Lubuk Pempeng village. It was on the way from Medco’s oil-drilling site in Blang Simpo to his home in Seumali village. His driver was tied up and left, while Primrose was driven away by the captors.
‘We are delighted to confirm that Malcolm Primrose has been released,’ said a statement from the British embassy in Jakarta. ‘Embassy officials are with Mr Primrose and are providing consular assistance.’
Primrose was ‘safe, but tired’, the statement said.
Muhajir told the Jakarta Globe: ‘The six perpetrators, carrying three rifles and one pistol, fired a warning shot into the air while intercepting the victim’s car.’
Muhajir said the abductors had contacted Mr Primrose’s family and requested a $500,000 (£320,000) ransom, but then decided to release him after hundreds of police and troops fanned out to hunt for them.
According to UK reports, it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the kidnapping. Aceh has a long history of violence, but the government and separatist rebels signed a peace deal in the province in 2005, ending 29 years of fighting.