Police in southern Vietnam’s Dong Nai Province have arrested a man for allegedly kidnapping a three-year-old girl and holding her for an US$82,000 ransom.

Nguyen Thanh Son, from Long An Province, was detained on Monday evening while traveling on a long-haul bus from Dong Nai to Lam Dong in the Central Highlands, according to Dong Nai police.

Earlier at about 3:00 pm on the same day, Son visited a kindergarten in Long An’s Tan An City and lured L.M.C., the daughter of his acquaintance, into his car.

The man then drove the little girl to Ho Chi Minh City. During the drive, he sent several texts to the girl’s parents demanding a ransom of VND2 billion ($82,100) for her safe return.

After paying the ransom, the girl’s parents reported the case to Long An police, who later identified Son as a key suspect. 

Local police then coordinated with their counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Province to launch a joint search for Son.

At about 9:30 pm the same day, Dong Nai police found and detained Son when they stopped a long-haul bus on National Highway 20. 

Son told police officers that he had left C. in a hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City before boarding a long-haul bus to Lam Dong.

Dong Nai police then notified their colleagues in Ho Chi Minh City and Long An to rescue the little girl from the hotel room and send her back to her family. 

Son confessed to investigators that he knew C.’s father and committed the crime in order to get money to pay off his debts.

Dong Nai Police have extradited Son to Long An for further investigation.

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