Thai police search for Chinese student kidnapped for ransom
Officers of the Metropolitan Police Bureau are searching for a female Chinese student, Yan Ruimin, believed to have been kidnapped by a compatriot with a ransom demand of 1 million yuan (approximately 5 million baht).
Chinese national Cai Boxuan, a friend of Yan, this week filed a missing person report at Bang Rak Police Station in Bangkok after he lost contact with her since June 30. Yan had told him she would be travelling to Phuket on July 2, but never arrived there.
Cai said an unknown person contacted Yan’s family in China and demanded 1 million yuan for her release. The kidnapper also warned the family against contacting the police or the embassy.
Police checked CCTV footage from the area where the victim was last seen on July 1, and found her getting into a white Honda City driven by a man near Times Square building in the Asoke area of Bangkok.
Police said the video showed the man driving the victim to Khlong Toei market at around 6.05pm on July 1. There, they both got out of the car to buy durian and were found eating it near the car, police added.
The two were seen holding hands and walking, before driving to Rama IV Road at around 7.43pm, police said.
Police inquiries found that the vehicle was rented by Qingyan Ma, 32, a Chinese national on June 30. He returned the car on July 3 and left for Hong Kong on the same day.
GPS records showed that the car also travelled to Muang district of Chachoengsao province while it was rented by Qingyan.
Chachoengsao police reported on Saturday that they had found a spot where the kidnapper might have burned the victim’s belongings in Bang Phra subdistrict, and are now investigating the scene.
