Mauritius relies on Franco-American collaboration to locate the Ng Fuk Chong couple kidnapped in Madagascar

The Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs has requested the assistance of the United States and France to find out the kidnapped couple Benoît and Maureen Ng Fuk Chong unharmed in Madagascar.

Everything is done to find Benoît and Maureen Ng Fuk Chong. This is the assurance given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Arvin Boolell following the abduction of the Franco-Mauritian local in the afternoon of Sunday, May 6 in the district of Ambodivona, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Holders of A dual nationality, the couple went to perform their civic duty for the French presidential election when they were attacked by three armed men. The latter rushed into their Ford Ranger before taking off before the Malagasy police was unable to catch them.

The couple Ng Fuk Chong moved to Madagascar six years ago. The husband had a career in the Mauritian food company Food and Allied and established in the Great Island as director of operations, his employer having launched its subsidiary Avitech, in Ivato.

A crisis unit has been set up on Monday, May 7 at the Government House to follow the situation hour by hour. Arvin Boolell has had a working meeting with the Ambassador of France in Mauritius, Jean-François Dobelle, and the responsible of the Malagasy Embassy, Richard Via, in the presence of close relatives of Ng Fuk Chong, of a representative of the Prime Minister’s Office and police in the middle of the afternoon.

The foreign minister of Mauritius also held a meeting with the Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy Troy Fitrell, to discuss collaboration between U.S. and French authorities on Malagasy soil to find the couple. It is clear that their support will be essential to support the Malagasy security forces so that the couple is back safe and sound.

According to information obtained in the early evening of Monday, May 7, 2012, the Malagasy authorities have focused on communications from the kidnappers in order to locate their movements, who have already indicated their requirement on Monday: a ransom of 100,000 euros, that is, about Rs 4 million, in exchange of the hostages.

At Antananarivo, the local police held a press conference to emphasize that it is not aware of any complaint about this kidnapping, while confirming the ransom demand.

Kidnapping has become a successful business in Madagascar for some time. These are mostly members of the Indo-Pakistan community, called karana, who are paying the price, which made India reacted, through its embassy, in March, owing to the increase of kidnappings perpetrated on its citizens.

In Mauritius, relatives of Benoît and Maureen Ng Fuk Chong are following the case closely. “The parents of Benedict are very old, they are very worried. Since we did not receive adequate information, we are living in uncertainty,” says a relative.

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