Hong Kong police rescue 3-year-old boy kidnapped for alleged HK$5 million ransom, arrest 2

A source familiar with the matter said the boy was found in a flat in The Wings private housing estate in Tseung Kwan O shortly before 5.30am.

The source added that the boy, who was being monitored by police, was taken to Tseung Kwan O Hospital for a medical examination.

A police spokesman said police received a report around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday that the boy had been forcibly abducted from a shopping mall in Tseung Kwan O. The Post learned that the boy was abducted from TKO Plaza, where he was with his mother, family and other children.

“At 5:25am on Thursday, police rescued the boy and arrested two suspects in Tseung Kwan O,” the spokesperson said.

A photo circulating on the Internet, captured by a surveillance camera, shows the boy being grabbed and carried away by an individual wearing a cap, mask and shorts.

The source said the family was then ordered to pay 66,000 Tether digital coins worth more than HK$5.1 million for the boy to be released.

Tether is a cryptocurrency stablecoin, which is a type of digital currency that aims to maintain a stable valuation.

He also said the victim was not abducted randomly, suggesting there may be another motive behind the case.

Agents from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau are currently investigating the case, which is being considered a kidnapping.

In Hong Kong, kidnapping carries a penalty of up to life imprisonment under the Offences Against the Person Ordinance.

During the first five months of this year, the city's violent crime rate increased 9.4% to 4,237 cases, compared with 3,872 reports recorded during the same period in 2023.