Chinese siblings kidnapped and extorted in Chile at fake police station; suspects demanded 300 million Chilean pesos

Chinese siblings kidnapped and extorted in Chile at fake police station; suspects demanded 300 million Chilean pesos On September 11 local time, Chilean prosecutors disclosed a kidnapping and extortion case targeting Chinese citizens. A pair of Chinese siblings were kidnapped in the capital, Santiago, on the pretext of being suspected of a crime and taken to a "fake police station" disguised as a police investigation site. The suspects even arranged for people to impersonate Chilean investigative police officers and U.S. FBI agents to demand a large ransom from the siblings. According to the prosecution's investigation, on August 6, a Chinese man named Mingkai Fu met with a Chilean man in downtown Santiago before being handcuffed and forcibly taken away by two individuals claiming to be Chilean investigative police officers. He was then taken to the basement of a building. The location was not a real police facility but a "fake police station" set up specifically by the suspects to carry out the extortion. The scene not only had people impersonating police officers but also someone playing the role of an "arrested person," along with PDI and FBI signage and even a portrait of U.S. President Trump hanging on the wall to make the scam more convincing. Fu Mingkai's sister, Fu Mingxia, later arrived at the scene. The suspects showed the siblings a so-called "criminal organization chart" and claimed that police already had evidence of their alleged crimes. They also threatened them with arrest and imprisonment, demanding 300 million Chilean pesos, equivalent to about 2.13 million yuan, in exchange for "dropping the case" and their release. In the end, the siblings paid 30 million Chilean pesos before being released. According to a statement made to prosecutors by former prosecutor Vinko Fodich, who is involved in the case, the money was divided among multiple people involved, including police personnel who took part in the operation. The group continued to demand that the siblings pay the remaining amount afterward. The case has now implicated multiple suspects, including former prosecutor Vinko Fodich and several current or former members of Chile's Investigative Police (PDI). Chilean prosecutors are continuing to investigate the case on charges including kidnapping for extortion and criminal organization, and further details are still being disclosed.