[Bangla Daily Star] Gunmen have kidnapped a British man working for an energy company in the restive Indonesian province of Aceh, officials said yesterday.Malcolm Primrose was being driven to a work site on Tuesday when he was stopped by a group of gunnies at around 11:00 am (0400 GMT) in Lubuk Pempeng village, East Aceh district, officials said.
"The man was on his way to a drilling site when at least four men with firearms stopped his car," provincial police front man Gustav Leo told AFP.
The kidnappers tied up his driver before taking the Briton to their car and driving off, he said, adding that details of the incident came from the driver, an Indonesian.
"We are pursuing the kidnappers based on the witness's testimony. We don't know yet their motive."
A source familiar with the matter said that the oil and gas company Primrose was working for, Medco Energi Internasional, had not yet received any ransom demand.
The British embassy in Jakarta said in a statement: "We can confirm a Brit was involved in an incident in Aceh yesterday. We are in touch with the local authorities and his family. An embassy team has deployed to the area. "
The man, in his early 60s, had been working as a sub-contractor for a subsidiary of Medco Energi Internasional, which confirmed the kidnapping.