Kidnappers cut off finger of Chinese student to demand ransom
- A 14-year-old Chinese student was kidnapped by a gang in Manila, who brutally cut off his finger to demand ransom.
- The student's family rejected the initial ransom demand of $20 million, which was later lowered to $1 million.
- Philippine police successfully rescued the student after tracking down the kidnappers' vehicle.
In the Philippines, a 14-year-old Chinese student was kidnapped on February 20, 2025, by a gang reportedly led by Chinese individuals. The student was taken after he attended classes at a British school in Manila. This shocking crime raised alarms due to its extreme nature, particularly the brutal tactic of cutting off the student's small finger to pressure his parents to pay a ransom of $20 million, later reduced to $1 million. The kidnappers reportedly shared a video of the severed finger with the boy's parents as a means of coercion. The gang responsible for the abduction included former Filipino police officers and soldiers. Their motivation for the crime appears to stem from the financial pressures following the shutdown of illegal online gambling operations in the Philippines by the government. These gambling outfits had previously thrived under former President Rodrigo Duterte but faced closure under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. With these operations dismantled, some individuals shifted to criminal activities such as kidnapping as a means of survival. On February 25, 2025, Philippine authorities received word of the student's location. Police were able to locate the gang's vehicle and subsequently rescued the boy, who had been abandoned in a bustling area of metropolitan Manila. The driver's body was discovered in a separate abandoned vehicle, previously used during the abduction, providing significant evidence for the case. Law enforcement officials identified the suspects and were actively pursuing them at that time. The incident raises concerns about the prevalence of kidnapping in the Philippines, especially involving organized crime linked to prior legal enterprises like online gambling. The Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla highlighted that communication between the kidnappers and victim's family took place in Chinese via the popular messaging platform WeChat. This case exemplifies how the illegal gambling operations have transitioned into other forms of crime, suggesting a continuing threat of similar incidents in the region. Furthermore, the pressure exerted through horrific means, such as sending a gruesome video to the family, highlights the desperate lengths criminals may go to in their attempts to extort money.