Trader abducted in Zamboanga del Norte

A 60-year-old businesswoman was abducted by unidentified armed men in Zamboanga del Norte on Monday afternoon, the military said.

Based on reports they received, the businesswoman was identified as Martina “Tinang” Yee, Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Filemon Tan said on Tuesday.

The victim was forcibly taken by the armed men while inside her grocery store in Poblacion, Sirawi.

“The victim was dragged towards the shoreline and was forced to board a double-engine pumpboat en route to Zamboanga City,” Tan said.

Hot pursuit operations are being conducted by joint police and military forces and intelligence monitoring is being intensified to rescue the victim./rga