Chinese man forced to transfer $400,000 in cryptocurrency to kidnappers: “They said they would sell my kidneys.”

Chinese National Rescued from Kidnappers in the Philippines

A Chinese citizen was rescued from captivity in Pasay City, Philippines, after being held against his will in an apartment. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was threatened by his captors, who demanded a ransom of $1 million in cryptocurrency. The kidnappers allegedly threatened to sell his kidneys if he did not comply.

Swift Action Leads to Rescue

The victim was rescued by local police after a friend contacted authorities early the next morning. The friend alerted the police after receiving a distress call from the victim.

“First he just told me that he was kidnapped and there were four Chinese men with knives,” the friend stated. “He told me to call the embassy and the police. So that was the first thing I did, I went straight to the police station here in Pasay, and after that, two policemen managed to come to the condominium building.”

Upon arriving at the scene, Filipino police apprehended two suspects, also Chinese nationals. However, two other suspects managed to escape and are currently being pursued.

Kidnappers Claimed Victim Owed Them Money

According to the victim’s statements, one of the suspects had access to his rented apartment and allowed the other accomplices to enter. “He actually had access to enter the room. They wanted more money,” the victim explained.

The criminals claimed the victim owed them $1 million. The victim denied these claims.

“Then they first grabbed my hands and took me there, asking me to hand over the cryptocurrencies I had,” the Chinese national said, suggesting he knew his kidnappers.

“They claimed I owed 1 million dollars, which is not true. I barely knew them.”

Evidence Found at the Scene

Authorities discovered various items at the apartment, including tape, knives, handcuffs, and a belt allegedly used to beat the victim. Unidentified medications were also found in the trash.

Speaking to local media, Colonel Joselito De Sesto mentioned that the criminals only freed the victim’s hands so he could access his laptop.

“This was used as an injection to intimidate him if he didn’t transfer the money. Actually, they threw it away, we only found it in the trash. We don’t know what kind of drug it is, or if it is poison,” De Sesto said.

Under duress, the victim transferred approximately $400,000 in cryptocurrency and an additional $14,000 in cash to the kidnappers.

Threats of Human Trafficking and Organ Harvesting

Even after receiving the money, the criminals continued to threaten the victim.

“They said they were going to sell me, sell some of my kidneys and everything else, or just take me out of the country, sell me maybe to Cambodia or wherever they came from.”

The region encompassing Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and other Southeast Asian countries is known for human trafficking crimes. Victims are often forced to perpetrate scams on others.

According to the Philippine Anti-Kidnapping Group, one of the arrested suspects had a prior record for kidnapping for extortion.

The two suspects deny the accusations, claiming they were in the country as tourists and that the victim owed them money.