Two months ago, two Chinese executives mysteriously disappeared in the Philippines, followed by the emergence of a kidnapper named "Li Na".
On September 23, a transnational arrest operation finally came to an end, and the murderer Li Na was finally arrested in Korea and extradited to China.
So, what crimes did Li Na do? How did she get caught?
Brutal kidnapping and extortion
On the evening of June 20, the last time the two executives contacted colleagues, relatives and friends was at 18:07 and 18:57, respectively. After that, none of their mobile phones answered.
Until noon on the 21st, Xia Moumou's wife received a strange WeChat call, saying that Xia Moumou needed to send money from his family when he lost money playing cards in the club.
At the same time, the kidnappers contacted his relatives and friends through Sun's WeChat, claiming that Sun owed money for gambling and demanded a ransom.
However, relatives and friends who knew Sun immediately denied this statement, because Sun never gambled and even hated gambling.
The ransom demanded by the kidnappers amounted to 15 million to 25 million yuan, which caused the families to fall into a huge panic.
Over the next few days, families tried to negotiate with the kidnappers while trying to raise money. However, things have taken a turn for the worse.
After Xia's family paid 3 million yuan, the kidnappers suddenly lost contact.
Sun's relatives and friends recalled: "Actually, I didn't have time, I was very nervous. 3 days to 4 days. Negotiations are still being prepared here. After the Xia family finished playing 3 million yuan, the other party could not be contacted. "
Eventually, the remains of the two executives were found. According to reports, no fingerprints or DNA of any suspects were left on the remains, leaving the investigation in a difficult position.
Elaborate traps
The conspiracy began in mid-May this year, at the European Congress of Interventional Cardiology held in Paris, two Chinese executives, Sun and Xia, met a woman who called herself "Li Na".
"Li Na" claimed that she worked for a medical device company in the Philippines, and that the owner of the company was a well-known local Fujian businessman who had high-level connections with the Philippine government.
She showed the two a seemingly formal invitation to the Philippines to discuss cooperation.
"Li Na" showed professional medical knowledge in the communication with the two executives, which made the experienced Sun and Xia not suspicious.
She also mentioned that there are large orders and preferential policies, which further dispel the concerns of the two. Sun's relatives and friends recalled: "'Li Na' not only said that the list is relatively large, but also said that she knew the top level and said that she had good policies.
If this is not the case, with Sun's conditions, it is completely possible to send subordinates there. He had just returned from a business trip to the United States and had left for the Philippines without even getting much rest. If it's a simple business, it's okay to push it back a week. "
On June 20, Sun and Xia departed from Beijing and flew to the Philippines. Little did they know, however, that a nightmare awaited them.
When they arrived in the Philippines, they quickly lost their personal freedom. According to the recollections of Sun's relatives and friends, this is one of the reasons why they suspect that the kidnapping case was a pre-planned conspiracy.
Because Sun and Xia are two adult men walking together, and Sun is 1.88 meters tall, he plays basketball almost every weekend, "his body is very strong, and one or two will definitely not be able to beat him."
The investigation found that in order to gain the trust of the two executives, "Li Na" not only forged the invitation letter, but also prepared a set of false company information.
She even spooked the name of MEDEV, a real Filipino medical device company.
However, the company's staff said that the company did not have an employee named "Li Na", and had not sent any invitation letters to any Chinese companies or individuals recently.
This case has nothing to do with the company, and it was entirely committed by someone fraudulently using the company's name.
Cross-border pursuit, multi-party cooperation
After the incident, police in China, the United States and the Philippines quickly intervened in the investigation. Since Sun is a Chinese-American and Xia is a Chinese citizen, this case has attracted great attention from many countries.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that after the incident, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines maintained close contact with the Philippine side, urging the Philippine side to make every effort to investigate the case, take effective measures to safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in the Philippines, and provide assistance to the families of the victims in the aftermath.
Philippine National Police spokesman Fajardo revealed that the police have clues about the suspects, especially those who were picked up at the airport.
"The Anti-Kidnapping Brigade could not disclose more information, but the head of the unit assured us that they had the suspects involved, especially those who were waiting at the airport to pick up the two victims when they came to our country," she said. "
Through the unremitting efforts of the police, the true identity of "Li Na" was confirmed. She is a foreign Chinese who is known to be linked to multiple kidnapping cases.
Police also found that "Li Na" and another male suspect spoke Mandarin with a Hokkien accent.
With the full cooperation of the police of many countries, "Li Na" was finally arrested in Korea. It was a multi-country manhunt that demonstrated INTERPOL's effective collaboration.
It is reported that "Li Na" quickly left the Philippines after the incident. Through the analysis of her communication records and entry and exit information, the police found that she first traveled to Taiwan, China, and then traveled to several countries, and was finally arrested in Seoul, Korea.
Law enforcement agencies in China, the United States, the Philippines and Korea maintained close communication and coordination throughout the hunt.
Philippine police also uncovered a larger criminal network during the investigation of the case.
On July 3, the Philippine Immigration Department arrested a pregnant woman suspected of kidnapping in a high-end apartment in Pasay City, Metro Manila, allegedly as one of the leaders of another kidnapping and ransom ring.
Although there is no evidence that this gang has a direct connection to "Li Na", this reaffirms the existence of an organized transnational criminal network of kidnapping in the Philippines.
Rendell ·, head of the Fugitive Search Team of the Immigration Department, said in an interview:
"Their gang kidnapped Chinese in the Philippines. The pregnant woman was in charge of contacting potential victims in the gang to take the bait,
When the victim agrees to meet at a certain place, the kidnappers of the kidnapping gang will ambush around the location and find the right time to kidnap the victim. "
The importance of safety in business activities
When it comes to overseas business, safety should always be a top priority. Even seasoned executives can fall victim to a trap elaborated by criminals.
When accepting an overseas invitation, you should verify the identity and company background of the other party through multiple channels.
Professor Jian Jisong, director of the Juris Master Education Center of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, pointed out that this case involves complex international legal issues.
Although the case took place in the Philippines, under the "protective principle", China also has jurisdiction over Chinese citizens who have committed crimes abroad. At the same time, the United States, as Sun's country of nationality, also has the right to intervene in the investigation.
From the perspective of the victim, if it is a Chinese citizen, China also has jurisdiction in terms of protective principles;
From the perspective of the perpetrator, if the criminal suspect is a Chinese citizen, according to Article 7 of the Criminal Law, 'personal jurisdiction', the Chinese citizen who commits a crime abroad shall be investigated for criminal responsibility for the crime of kidnapping;
If the criminal suspect is a foreigner, in accordance with Article 8 of the Criminal Law, 'Protective Jurisdiction', a foreigner may be held criminally liable for crimes committed against a Chinese citizen outside the territory of China.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines also reminded Chinese citizens in the Philippines to earnestly raise their awareness of security precautions. In case of emergency, please call the police and contact the embassy or consulate in the Philippines for help.
The successful resolution of the transnational kidnapping case demonstrates the importance of international law enforcement cooperation. It also reminds us that in today's globalized world, crime is also "keeping pace with the times".
We need to continuously improve security awareness, improve the legal system, and strengthen international cooperation in order to better protect the safety of overseas citizens.
Resources:
International law experts analyze the "case of Chinese enterprise executives kidnapped and torn up tickets in the Philippines": China also has jurisdiction, and the victim should be counted as a work-related injury death-Red Star News
"Li Na" has left the Philippines! The leader of a kidnapping and extortion gang in the Philippines was arrested, and local Chinese: kidnapping became a black industry chain - Jimu News
The identity of "Li Na", the person who set up the kidnapping case in the Philippines, was confirmed, and the victim's family: a foreign Chinese, or involved in multiple cases-Jimu News