Chinese student in Singapore allegedly kidnapped in KL, $628k ransom demanded from parents, Singapore News
An 18-year-old Chinese national studying in Singapore was allegedly kidnapped in Kuala Lumpur, with a ransom of $628,381 demanded from his parents.
The teenager's parents had received videos on Friday (May 2) at around 11.44am showing their son being held hostage, reported China Press.
At the time, his mother, surnamed Cheng, 40, and father, surnamed Ye, 43, were in Dubai for work.
Cheng explained that in the videos sent to her, her son's mouth was sealed with black tape, his hands tied to a chair, while being physically abused.
At one point, when the tape was removed, the boy would plead for help over the phone, urging his family to pay the ransom quickly.
The perpetrators also reportedly threatened to bury him alive.
The family noted that the videos featured at least two distinct voices, indicating that more than one person was involved in the staged abduction.
One video even included fake blood to make the scenario appear more convincing.
The couple immediately flew to Malaysia after receiving the news.
The boy was later identified as Roupiao (transliteration) from Foshan City, Guangdong Province and is the only child in his family, reported the China Press.
He is reportedly studying at a private institution in Singapore since last October and was living in a rented apartment near that university with five roommates. 'He has always been independent and well-behaved'
The initial ransom demanded was RM300,000 (S$91,512), but an additional RM1.76 million was later added on.
The kidnappers reported threatened to kill Ye and sell his organs if the parents did not pay the ransom.
Cheng reportedly offered around RM60,000 but it was rejected, and she was even insulted by the kidnappers, who called her a "beggar."
Cheng added that before her son's disappearance, he had been absent from school for a week.
She then reached out to his classmates and learned that he had been playing online games with friends on April 29, the night before his disappearance.
The boy's parents said they didn't know why their son had travelled from Singapore to Johor Bahru on April 30, where he was later reported to have been abducted, reported The Star.
After a police report was filed by the parents, the Malaysian police launched an interstate operation and arrested a 23-year-old suspect from China at the Penang International Airport departure hall.
The police also managed to locate the teenager in Kulim, Kedah, and rescued him.
Cheng added that despite their busy schedules, they rarely contacted their son, as he was generally independent.
"Although my husband and I are busy with work and there is a time difference, we rarely contact our son who is separated from us, but he has always been independent and well-behaved," she said.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the teenager and his parents have since returned to China.
[[nid:712200]]
xingying.koh@asiaone.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Man suspected of hitting 5-year-old boy on head with glass bottle at Arab Street, Singapore News
A Chinese national has been accused of using a wine bottle to hit a boy outside a cafe along Arab Street. The incident occurred at about 1.30pm on Friday (June 20), according to an eyewitness account submitted to the Sgfollowsall page. The post claimed that the man had "randomly" hit the five-year-old child on the head, causing the victim to vomit and suffer swelling. The boy's family are tourists from Indonesia. A clip shared by the page shows the accused sitting on the pathway outside the cafe, with wailing heard in the background. The man rummages through his bag and appears to try pulling out a silver object, just as the person filming realises that the item is a knife. Several onlookers rush in to restrain the suspected attacker and the camera man successfully seizes the bag, taking out the weapon to show others at the scene. He then asks someone to call the police and takes the bag with the knife inside the cafe. A subsequent clip shows a police officer at the scene. A cafe employee told Shin Min Daily News that the victim's family had sat outside the shop to enjoy their drinks when the man suddenly attacked the boy. The cafe called an ambulance and ushered the tourists inside. The boy's mother told Mothership that "it all happened in a split second" and her son quickly broke into tears and vomited. Another staff member of a nearby clothing store reportedly said the alleged perpetrator had tried to leave the scene but was stopped by passers-by. The police cordoned off the area for investigations until about 5pm. Man charged The man, a 26-year-old Chinese national named Xu Chaoyu, was handed two charges in court on Saturday in relation to carrying weapons in public, reported Shin Min. According to court documents, Xu had in his possession a 32cm-long kitchen knife at Arab Street on Friday. His second charge is related to another instance on Saturday, where he was found with a 30cm-long chopper at Arab Street at about 1.30am. He was also reportedly charged under immigration laws for overstaying in Singapore after his social visit pass expired on May 2. [[nid:717975]]
AsiaOne
4 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Man who allegedly slashed another man in Woodlands found dead at foot of HDB block, Singapore News
A man was found lying motionless at the foot of a Woodlands HDB block, days after he allegedly slashed another last Saturday (June 21). Based on preliminary investigations, no foul play is suspected, the police said. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 684A Woodlands Drive 73 at around 7.40pm, where a 33-year-old man allegedly injured the 31-year-old man with a knife and fled from the scene. When reporters from Shin Min Daily News arrived, the police had cordoned off a large area and a blue tent had been set up beside the mailboxes at the foot of the block — believed to be covering the body, the Chinese publication reported. A knife was also found lying in a grass patch not far from where the body lay, with no visible traces of blood. A resident reportedly told Shin Min that she heard a loud "thud", and minutes later, the police and an ambulance arrived. "I heard from neighbours that a man had apparently fallen from the building, and soon after, the police cordoned off the area," she said. Residents claimed that a quarrel had likely taken place in the unit before a man fell from the building. The unit was occupied by a mother and son, and a man was often seen coming in and out of the flat. According to Shin Min, the deceased was reportedly not staying in the unit, and is believed to have been involved in a suspected love dispute with the younger 31-year-old man, which eventually led to the incident. The younger man was later taken conscious to Woodlands Health Campus. Police investigations are ongoing. [[nid:718150]] Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
'I thought it was just firecrackers', says eyewitness after man fatally shot multiple times inside vehicle in Malaysia, Malaysia News
A man was shot dead in the driver's seat of a vehicle outside a motorcycle shop in Malaysia on Friday afternoon (June 20), in the country's third fatal shooting in over a week. The incident occurred in Meru, Klang. The victim, a 46-year-old local man, was seated in a white pickup truck when shots were fired through the car's side window, reported Malaysian media. Medical personnel later confirmed his death at the scene. Photos and videos circulating online showed locals surrounding the vehicle where the side window appears riddled with six bullet holes. According to Klang Utara district police chief Assistant Commissioner S. Vijaya Rao, local police were alerted at 3.37pm and have since launched an investigation to identify the suspect and uncover the motive for the murder. An eyewitness initially mistook the gunfire for firecrackers, but soon realised the seriousness of the situation. "I thought it was just firecrackers, or maybe the usual crow shooting. Only later did we realise it was something serious," said a 55-year-old shopowner to New Straits Times. She said she realised the severity of the incident when a crowd began to form around the vehicle and word spread that someone had been shot. She only believed it when she approached the vehicle. This incident follows two other fatal shootings in Malaysia in recent days. On June 17, two men were shot dead outside a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, in a case believed to be connected to smuggling activities in Sarawak. On June 13, one person died and two were injured after a shooting at a restaurant in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. [[nid:719229]]
