Youth, 18, from China, who studied in S'pore, likely pretended he got kidnapped in M'sia, parents asked to pay S$621,500 ransom

An 18-year-old youth from China studying in Singapore informed his family that he got kidnapped after entering Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The ransom amount then kept increasing and eventually hit 3.5 million yuan (S$621,500).

Received videos of 'kidnapping'

China Press reported that the youth who was allegedly kidnapped is from Foshan city, Guangdong province.

He is the only child in his family.

He had been studying at SIM Global Education in Singapore since October 2024.

His father, surnamed Ye, 43, and mother, surnamed Cheng, 40, are doing business in Dubai.

At around 11:44am on May 2, the parents received a call from their son’s QQ app, along with a video showing the youth allegedly being beaten and strangled.

The youth's mouth was taped with black tape and his hands were tied to a chair.

He was seen stripped to his underwear and pushed to the ground while on the chair, and had water forced into his mouth.

He was also told to ask for help to secure his release.

Two other people's voices could be heard in the video.

Those involved are reportedly also Chinese nationals.

Ransom amount kept increasing

The youth's mother said the kidnappers first demanded 500,000 yuan (S$88,800) in ransom.

A few hours later, they sent a video of her son being "beaten".

The kidnappers then demanded another 3 million yuan (S$532,700) and threatened to kill the youth and sell his organs.

The parents then negotiated and agreed to pay 100,000 yuan (S$17,800) through Alipay, but was rejected.

Flew to Singapore

Cheng and Ye immediately called the police and flew to Singapore on the same day.

They then learned their son had gone to Johor on Apr. 30.

The two then flew to Kuala Lumpur and reported the case to the Malaysia police.

The youth had been renting a place in Singapore with five roommates.

Before his disappearance, he had not been to school for a week, according to his parents.

Cheng pointed out that she learned from her son’s schoolmates that her son was playing online games on Apr. 29, the night before he entered Malaysia.

His last known location in Singapore, according to his mobile phone, was in the Orchard Road area.

"As my husband and I are busy with work and there is a time difference, we rarely contact our son," the mother said.

She said her son had always been independent and well-behaved.

Malaysia police made arrest

After receiving the report, the Malaysia police arrested a suspect, a 23-year-old Chinese man, within 48 hours at the departure hall of Penang International Airport on May 4.

The parents did not pay any ransom.

The youth was found in Kedah four days after being purportedly kidnapped.

He apparently sustained a thigh injury when he was found.

Arrested man claimed he was made use of

The arrested man reportedly confessed to the police that he received a call in March 2025 from a person claiming to be the "Chinese police".

The arrested man said he was accused of being involved in a credit card fraud case.

He was then instructed to go to Kuala Lumpur to help shoot a video for anti-fraud purposes.

He was apparently promised that the fraud matter he was implicated in will not be pursued if he followed the plan.

According to instructions that he received, the arrested man filmed two videos of the youth being beaten in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur and in an oil palm plantation in Kedah.

The videos were then sent to the "Chinese police".

The arrested man said he was only responsible for shooting the video and did not take part in any kidnapping or extortion of the youth's parents.

Unclear why kidnapped youth went to Malaysia from Singapore

China Press also reported that it was unclear why the kidnapped youth went to Johor in the first place.

However, Cheng said her son had gone back to China in March this year and told his grandfather that he had fallen for a scam and wanted to borrow 40,000 yuan (S$7,100) from him, but was rejected and scolded.

No other details on the involvement of the "kidnapped" youth were reported.

But details of his release were mentioned.

It is understood that at around 11pm on May 3, the youth got into a car that had been hired for him to "release" him.

On May 4 at around 1pm, the youth walked to a police station in Kedah, borrowed a phone from a police officer, and called his grandfather to report that he was safe.

He then left.

The police later searched the area and found the youth at a nearby petrol station.

He was fully clothed with no other visible injuries.

The police then took him back to the police station to assist with investigations.

They also brought him to a few locations to recount what had happened.

Shin Min Daily News reported that it is understood that the international students and their parents involved have returned to China.

Top photos via China Press