'Chinese gang' busted in UAE, kidnap victim freed

DUBAI: A local Chinese "gang" here has been busted which had kidnapped a compatriot and demanded a ransom of USD 27.2 million, a report claimed on Monday. 

In a police raid that was carried out on November 18 "the details of which emerged only today" the 24 year old kidnapped man was rescued from the den of the Chinese "mafia" who tortured and threatened him with execution unless a USD 27.2 million (100 million dh) ransom was paid.
 
The 24-year-old Chinese man was picked up outside his home in International City. An hour later his girlfriend received a call from the kidnappers who demanded that she deliver USD 27 million (Dh 100 million) from his wealthy family or they would kill her boyfriend.
 
"She was threatened and told that if she didn't come up with the money, which she negotiated down to Dh20 million, they would kill him," Col Mansouri said. "They also made her hear his voice so that they could make sure she knew they got him."
 
However, police after two days stormed a flat in neighbouring Ajman, rescued the hostage and arrested eight men and a woman. A Dubai Police source described the gang as part of a "Chinese mafia", whose leader was wanted in China for crimes including torture, kidnap and murder.
 
Eight people, including a 36-year-old man purported to be the gang leader, have been arrested, the police said.
 
Some members of the gang are residents while others are on visit visas. Luo Ze Jun, China's political attache to the UAE, told a local newspaper, "This kind of case is very rare. We haven't seen anything like this in the last two years."
 
"He came here with the interest to start a business in Dragon Mart and to invest his money in the country," he said.

The victim's ordeal began when he was attacked and dragged from the entrance to the building where he shared a flat with his girlfriend. The gang had apparently been watching and following the man since earlier that day when he had paid a large amount of money into a bank.
 
Col Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, the deputy chief of Dubai CID, told reporters the man was interested in moving his money to the country and was in Dubai for enterprise.