Police in Ky Anh Commune, Ha Tinh Province, said on June 22 that they had assisted in handling a case involving a local resident who was allegedly kidnapped in Taiwan (China) in an attempt to extort money from his family.
The incident came to light on June 17 when the worker's family reported the case to police after receiving a distress call from their relative, who was employed in Taiwan.
According to the family's report, the man said he had been restrained, assaulted and held captive by a group of individuals who demanded VND 400 million (approximately USD 15,300) in exchange for his release.
Following the call, the family received a series of messages and videos showing the worker being detained and physically attacked.
The suspects also allegedly used the victim's social media account to contact relatives and threaten his life if the ransom demand was not met.
Recognising the seriousness of the case and the potential threat to the safety of a Vietnamese citizen abroad, police in Ky Anh Commune immediately launched efforts to verify information.
Authorities also coordinated with members of the Vietnamese community in Taiwan to gather intelligence and report the case to local law enforcement agencies.
Investigators faced significant challenges because the victim was unable to identify his location, was unfamiliar with the local language and remained under constant surveillance by the suspects.
However, through cooperation between Vietnamese and Taiwanese authorities and support from the local Vietnamese community, police in Taiwan arrested the alleged ringleader on the evening of June 18.
The remaining suspects subsequently brought the victim to local authorities and presented themselves for investigation.
The worker has since been rescued and is reported to be in stable condition.
Taiwanese authorities are continuing their investigation into the case.
