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Taichung police rescue kidnap victim

Chuang Ming-yan is shown being escorted by Taichung police in this file photo from a previous arrest. Chuang is currently being held in Guangdong, China, over the kidnapping of a 10-year-old boy from Taichung, following his arrest yesterday. PHOTO: CNA

A 10-year-old kidnap victim was rescued by Taichung police yesterday after an eight-day ordeal, a Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday.

According to the report, more than 40 armed police stormed a building at 5:20am yesterday after confirming that the boy was inside. The building had been under surveillance for some days.

The boy, surnamed Chen, was reported to be in good condition.

Six people have been arrested in connection with his kidnapping, including the boy's aunt.

Police said the suspects included Tu Cheng-chieh (涂承傑), Chou Ren-chung (周仁忠), two teenagers surnamed Liao, as well as the aunt.

Police identified the ringleader of the kidnapping as Chuang Ming-yan (莊明諺), who they said was arrested in Zhuhai, China, yesterday.

Taiwanese police are seeking the swift extradition of Chuang, after Chinese police finish their interrogation of him.

Officials said Chuang is known to have been involved in several scams and is wanted in this country for fraud. They said he had been able to avoid arrest by traveling between Zhuhai, Xiamen and Taiwan on forged papers and regularly changing his cellphone.

The drama began Aug. 17 when the boy, accompanied by his family's Filipino housekeeper, was grabbed by two men outside a convenience store on the corner of Meichuan West St and Tehua St in Taichung.

The following evening the kidnappers, who reportedly had fled to Zhuhai, contacted the family and demanded a NT$50 million ransom for the boy's safe return.

The family said they could not raise the money in the time demanded and several days of negotiations ensued. The kidnappers finally said they would contact the family again at 9am today.

Officials said the kidnapping investigation had been aided by police in China.

According to Chen Weigong (陳維恭), director of the emergency room of the China Medical University Hospital, who examined the boy after his rescue, the boy was slightly dehydrated and had light bruising on his head, neck and back.

After being treated for dehydration, the boy was released from the hospital after two hours.

In related news, Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) said yesterday that senior police officers will travel to China next month to discuss cross-strait cooperation to combat crime.

Su said cross-strait cooperation in combating crime is urgently needed and he believes that China will also be supportive.

If the meeting takes place as scheduled, it will be "the first step toward cross-strait cooperation in combating crime," Su said.

He said negotiations are still underway on who should attend the meeting and when and where it should be held.

Su made the remarks at a ceremony at a Taichung police station, where he presented cash rewards to policemen who had helped solve the Chen kidnapping.
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