A Hong Kong man suspected of being behind a string of kidnappings in the Philippines was arrested yesterday after police raided his home and freed an American who had been held in chains for three weeks.
Manila authorities are looking into the possibility that Hong Kong-based British national Petrus Yao, alias George Yao, was involved in six other cases, including the abduction two years ago of Briton Azhar Ali Khan.
The man freed yesterday, Alastair Onglingswan, 35, a Chinese-American technology executive, was snatched by a kidnapper posing as a taxi driver while on his way to a gym in Bacoor, south of Manila, on January 20.
The kidnapper demanded a US$600,000-dollar ransom from Mr Onglingswan's family.
The victim said his captors had threatened to slice off his ear if the ransom was not paid.
'Nothing has been done [to me]. I'm glad to be here,' he said.
Police said Mr Onglingswan had been handcuffed and chained around his neck.