Family vacation invitation turns into blackmail
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Suseo police bring in two men who allegedly kidnapped a man and then extorted 150 million won from his family. / Yonhap
By Rha Hae-sung
Police are seeking an arrest warrant for a man who allegedly kidnapped a friend of his daughter with an accomplice and extorted 150 million won ($13 million) from the victim’s family.
According to Suseo Police Station, the suspect, identified by his surname Baek, 40, with the help of Seo, 38, abducted his daughter’s friend under the pretext of a family vacation and took 30 million won as ransom to spare the victim’s life.
Baek allegedly told the victim’s family that he and Seo had planned a trip to Bali and Jakarta and suggested that their son join them.
After Seo flew to Indonesia with the victim, Baek asked for ransom money in exchange of the victim’s safety. He had the family wire the money to his wife’s bank account and left South Korea on Oct. 31.
Police received a complaint from the victim’s family on the same day Seo fled to Indonesia. With the help of Jakarta Regional Police and other resident officers, police arrested Baek and Seo a day after they received the complaint.
Police also arrested Baek’s wife at her house in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for providing assistance in extorting the money.
Police have found that the victim’s parents had suggested that Baek invest in stock. This led him to being debt-ridden and eventually to commit an act of revenge.