China arrests 9 over Hong Kong kidnapping

Nine suspects have been arrested on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong over a kidnapping case involving millions in ransom, police said Thursday.

Queenie Rosita Law, granddaughter of late textile tycoon Law Ting-pong, was kidnapped from her house in Hong Kong on April 25 and later released after a ransom of 28 million Hong Kong dollars (3.6 mln U.S. dollars) was paid.

Public Security Department of Guangdong Province said eight suspects were captured in south China's Guangdong Province and the southwestern province of Guizhou, while Hong Kong police netted another trying to flee to the mainland.

All of them were mainland residents, the department said.

Among the arrested, seven conducted the kidnapping, one helped smuggle the kidnappers into Hong Kong and the another helped dispose of the stolen goods, said Lin Weixiong with the department.

The gang had been planning a kidnapping in Hong Kong since early April. On the early hours of April 25, they broke into Law's residence, where they kidnapped Law after robbing watches and jewels. They released Law after receiving the ransom from her family three days later, said Guo Shaobo, vice head of the department.

Police have seized about 2.8 Hong Kong dollars and are working to retrieve the rest of the ransom, Guo said. Endit