Cambodian police free US man who was kidnapped in Thailand, smuggled across border

Cambodian authorities successfully rescued a man who was kidnapped in Thailand, drugged, and transported to Cambodia, where he was held captive. At the same time, his captors attempted to extort a ransom from his family.

According to a statement released today, January 21, by the National Police, the victim, identified as Yu Emil, is an American citizen of Taiwanese descent. The rescue operation was conducted on January 15, a day after the victim's family reported the incident through the Ministry of Interior's Facebook page.

The statement explained that Emil was abducted in Bangkok, Thailand, by a criminal network of Taiwanese nationals. 

It said the victim had been lured from Shanghai, China, under the pretence of attending the opening ceremony of a new bakery. Upon arriving in Bangkok, Yu Emil was drugged and then smuggled into the Kingdom, where his captors tortured him as they tried to extort money from his family.“After freeing the victim, officers arrested one Taiwanese suspect, who was responsible for guarding the victim and preventing his escape, as well as conducting torture. This was done to enable the criminal network in Thailand to extort ransom from the victim's family,” it added.

The victim is currently under the care of the National Police, who are monitoring his health. Preparations are being made to transfer him to representatives of the US embassy for further management and eventual repatriation.

Cambodian authorities are investigating the identities of the Taiwanese perpetrators and the mastermind behind the operation, believed to be based in Thailand. Close cooperation with Thai authorities may follow, in order to dismantle the entire criminal network, the police added.

In recent weeks, high-profile cases of kidnappings involving Chinese nationals have garnered significant attention. These include the abduction of two Chinese celebrities, both of whom were later rescued.

Wang Xing, known for his role in Ip Man 3, was kidnapped and forced to participate in online scams in Myanmar until he was freed, just two weeks ago. Another Chinese model, Yang Zeqi, was rescued just last weekend.

Niem Chheng

The Phnom Penh

Asia News Network

(2025/01/22-00:00)