JOHOR BARU: Police have solved the kidnapping case of a mother and her son and recovered RM1.7mil in ransom.

Eight people have been arrested so far. Two pistols and 80 bullets were also seized from them. Police are on the lookout for three others to assist in investigations.

Police were informed of the kidnapping by a businessman on Oct 6. The suspects, who kept the woman and her son in an undisclosed location in Johor Baru, had negotiated for a ransom of about RM2mil.

Once the money was paid, the victims were released unharmed on Oct 8.

Police subsequently arrested several people, all in their 40s, in a hotel on Penang Island two days later. They were working in various pubs in the city and two had criminal records.

Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the file on the case was submitted to the deputy public prosecutor's office yesterday.

He said that the case was investigated under the Kidnapping Act, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment with whipping and the Firearms Act.

Meanwhile in an unrelated case, DCP Mohd Mokhtar said Johor police have set up a special team to curb motorcycle theft in the state capital.

"Motorcycle theft makes up 48% of the total crime rate and we have arrested 10 men in relation to such thefts in the past month," he said.

He added that with these arrests, police had solved 60 cases.

DCP Mohd Mohktar reminded motorcyclists to be more careful with their vehicles.