JOHOR BARU, Oct 24 — Three Vietnamese nationals have been remanded for seven days from today to assist in investigations into the alleged kidnapping of a businessman on October 13, which reportedly involved a RM20 million ransom.

The remand order for the suspects, comprising two men and a woman, all in their 30s, was issued by Magistrate’s Court Senior Assistant Registrar Muhammad Fitri Mokhtar this morning.

The remand, set to expire next Wednesday, allows investigators to probe the trio under the Kidnapping Act 1962.

Earlier, all three suspects were seen wearing orange detainee attire at the Magistrate’s Court here at 9.30am.

The Vietnamese nationals were arrested by a special police task force in Batu Pahat yesterday morning.

They are part of the 13 suspects apprehended during a state-wide operation that began on Monday night.

The other 10 suspects, all locals, were remanded yesterday in connection with the kidnapping and ransom case.

Yesterday, Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the police had arrested 10 men and three women, who are believed to have kidnapped the victim in Iskandar Puteri about 10 days ago.

Among the suspects, aged between 23 and 58, is a family member of the victim.

A vernacular media outlet reported last week that a Johor-based businessman was released after a RM20 million ransom was allegedly paid to his kidnappers.

The victim had been abducted outside his home at 5am on October 13 while preparing to take a ride-hailing service to Senai International Airport for a business trip.