A fishing trawler owner, who was kidnapped in the waters off Pulau Gaya, Semporna on Sept 27, has been released.

Sabah police commissioner Abdul Rashid Harun said Ruslan Sarapin, 39, returned safely to Lahat Datu at 7am today and police were still taking his statement.

"A kidnapped victim has been freed and I understand the victim is Ruslan Sarapin. It was learnt that at 7am, a victim has been released and he is now in Lahad Datu with police.

"We are taking his statements with Lahad Datu police on the actual incident," he told reporters in Kota Kinabalu today.

In the incident at about 9.30pm, Ruslan was kidnapped by six armed men while fishing with 26 crew members on his boat in the waters.

His crew members were robbed.

- Bernama