A Chinese student from Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and his accomplice have been charged in Malaysia after allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping to extort money from the student’s parents.
Both men, who are Chinese nationals, appeared in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court on 13 May, where they faced charges for cheating.
SIM Student’s Cross-Border Fake Abduction Scheme
The 18-year-old student, identified as Ye Yingxi, entered Malaysia from Singapore on 30 April.
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Malaysian authorities reported that Ye had been playing online games in Singapore just a day before crossing the border to Johor.
After he arrived in Malaysia, his parents, who live in Dubai, received communications from alleged kidnappers claiming to have abducted their son.
The supposed captors demanded a ransom that reportedly increased from 500,000 yuan (S$88,800) to 3.5 million yuan (S$624,000).
The alleged kidnappers threatened to harvest and sell the youth’s organs if his parents failed to pay the ransom.
The student’s 40-year-old mother told Chinese media that the family was shocked by the situation and couldn’t understand why her son had travelled to Malaysia in the first place.
She also revealed that her son had recently informed his grandfather about falling victim to an online romance scam and had tried to borrow money.
Staged Videos and Accomplice’s Arrest Reveal Elaborate Plot
Malaysian police arrested a 23-year-old accomplice at Penang International Airport on 4 May. This individual allegedly filmed staged videos showing Ye being restrained and assaulted as “proof” of the kidnapping.
The videos portrayed the SIM student beaten, strangled, tied to a chair, and gagged.
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The 23-year-old claimed he was instructed by someone pretending to be a “Chinese police officer” to participate in the videos as part of what he believed was an anti-fraud campaign.
Ye was found four days after his reported disappearance at a location in Baling, Kedah, with only a minor injury to his leg.
He initially claimed he had been released by his kidnappers and had managed to reach a police station to call his grandfather in China.
However, police noted inconsistencies in his story during questioning and began to suspect the kidnapping had been staged.
Malaysian authorities announced on 13 May that their investigation had concluded the entire incident was orchestrated by Ye and his accomplice.
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Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Their passports were confiscated, and they were released on RM30,000 (S$9,108) bail.
The case has been adjourned to 17 May, and if convicted, the pair faces up to 10 years in jail and a possible fine.
Malaysian police have not ruled out the possibility that more people might be involved in the scheme.
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