Two held over boy's abduction

Zhengzhou police arrested two men who allegedly kidnapped a teenage boy and demanded five million yuan (HK$4.7 million) in ransom.

Li Yanqing and Liu Yongchao were arrested on Saturday. Xinhua said they were part of a gang responsible for the kidnap of Liu Bao, son of Liu Changhai, a manager of a construction company in Zhengzhou, Henan province. Liu Yongchao apparently was not related to the victims. Police were still looking for four other suspects.

Liu Bao was kidnapped last Friday as he was taken to school by his nanny on her bicycle. Two young men jumped from a mini-van and grabbed him. Half an hour later, the family received a phone call demanding five million yuan. The kidnappers threatened to kill Liu Bao if the family went to the police. Liu Changhai immediately called the police.

On Saturday, the boy's mother was told to take the money to a bridge in a suburb of Zhengzhou. She was allegedly met there by Li, who threw the bag containing the money off the bridge to others waiting below in a truck. Waiting police shot at the kidnappers as the men fled without the money.

Xinhua said Li was soon arrested and told police where they had hidden the boy, who was then rescued. Information from Li led to the arrest of Liu Yongchao.