Prosecutors today said they have pressed charges against three people in an alleged kidnapping of a wealthy man and his family in Kaohsiung as part of a ransom plot, while the primary suspect is wanted after fleeing to Vietnam.
A man surnamed Lin (林) — who is allegedly involved in underground lending — Lin’s wife and his son were held for a ransom of NT$11.4 million (US$383,244) in May, the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office said.
On May 24 at about 11pm, a 37-year-old man surnamed Wang (王) reached out to Lin under the premise of purchasing luxury goods from him, the office said.
Photo copied Huang Chia-lin, Taipei Times
Lin sent his son to a location on Cisian Road, where Wang and his accomplices allegedly took him hostage upon arrival, tasing him, binding his hands and feet and covering his head, prosecutors said.
The son was then stuffed into a basket before being transported to a home on Boai Road in the city’s Zuoying District (左營), they said.
The next day at 11am, the kidnappers allegedly reached out to Lin’s wife — the hostage’s mother — to set up a lunch date, prosecutors said.
Photo courtesy of police
Upon her arrival, the group also allegedly took her hostage and demanded a NT$100 million ransom, prosecutors said.
She said she only had NT$3 million, to which Wang responded: “For NT$3 million, I can bury you. If I do not get the money, you and your son will die,” prosecutors said.
Wang then allegedly used her phone to bring Lin to the location, beating him when he arrived and threatening him with a pistol that has yet to be recovered, prosecutors said.
In return for his family’s safety, Lin borrowed money from friends and family, they said.
The suspects allegedly split, with some moving the two hostages to a new location while the others accompanied Lin to his friend’s home, they added.
Lin’s friend loaned him NT$6.1 million, and then they returned to the Lin household, where the kidnappers allegedly took NT$5.4 million more from a safe, prosecutors said.
The suspects then allegedly called their accomplices to release the hostages, they added.
The family reported the case to the police, who arrested three people — including Wang — and seized NT$1.14 million in cash, they said.
Another main suspect, a man surnamed Chiang (蔣), has fled to Vietnam and remains wanted, the southern branch of the Criminal Investigation Bureau said.
For the three suspects arrested, prosecutors are pressing kidnapping for ransom charges, seeking a sentence of at least 15 years.
Additional reporting by CNA
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