Chinese student staged his own kidnapping in Ontario to extort $1 million from parents

A 16-year-old Chinese student who recently arrived in Canada has been charged by the York Regional Police with staging his kidnapping.

Just after midnight on September 27, police responded to a report of a kidnapping. The evidence for this kidnapping came in the form of a video of the student gagged, bound and wearing a blindfold. The video was sent to his parents via social media accompanied by a text message demanding $1 million for the safe release of the student.

Upon receiving the report, police conducted an investigation that was quickly finished upon discovering the student at approximately 1:30 am.

The student was found in a restaurant close to in the area of Valleymede Road and Highway 7 in the City of Richmond Hill. After further investigation police determined that the kidnapping was staged by the student to receive money and attention from his parents in China.

York Regional Police urges and advises the community to not engage in similar staged incidents as they take up vital resources that could be used in actual crimes.

“Significant frontline police and investigative resources were engaged in this investigation,” reads a release from the regional police force.

“Staging an incident that results in the use of police resources when there was no such incident is a criminal offence. It also needlessly ties up valuable police resources that are required to deal with actual emergencies.”

Police also request that anyone in the public with information on the “kidnapping” contact them at the York Regional Police #2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7241 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.