Banteay Meanchey immigration police yesterday arrested four Chinese nationals for allegedly kidnapping a Chinese teenager and holding him for ransom in the border town of Poipet, according to local officials.

Deputy provincial police chief O Lon, who is in charge of immigration issues, said police detained the men at Star Vegas hotel after receiving a complaint from the victim’s mother in China.

The victim, 17-year-old Li Yinin, was also found at the hotel, where local news reported he had been kept for two months before calling his mother to convey a demand for more than $9,000 as ransom.

Lon said that the complaint had been sent via the immigration department at the Ministry of Interior, but declined to identify the suspects or go into details of the case. “We do not know yet who is linked to what crime as we are questioning them,” O Lon said.

“We arrested [the men] following the complaint by his mother. She said her son was kidnapped, but we cannot say whether it is true because we are in the process of investigation. His mother said the suspects demaded 1 million yuan [$9,270], but we cannot confirm.”

Uk Hai Sela, head of the ministry’s immigration investigation bureau, confirmed the arrest was carried out by Banteay Meanchey police but declined to comment further.