Eight Hong Kong kidnap suspects captured in China

Chinese police have captured eight suspects who allegedly fled with millions in ransom money after kidnapping a Hong Kong heiress, authorities said on Thursday, bringing the total number detained over the incident to nine.

The granddaughter of late textiles tycoon Law Ting-pong, 29-year-old Queenie Rosita Law, was held 

for at least three days last month before family members paid a ransom of HK dollar 28 million for her to be released.

Police in Hong Kong had embarked on a massive operation to hunt down the suspected kidnappers, deploying hundreds of heavily armed officers, helicopters and marine vessels, and setting up roadblocks. The Guangdong Provincial Public Security Bureau said in a statement on Thursday that a total of seven suspects had now been arrested in the southern province of Guangdong, which neighbours the former British colony, and one was seized in the southwestern province of Guizhou earlier this month.

Hong Kong police said earlier that another suspect was arrested at a border checkpoint in Hong Kong as he attempted to flee to the mainland.

Police seized more than HK dollars 2.8 million (about USD 361,000) in cash - or 10 <g data-gr-id="14">per cent</g> of the ransom the kidnappers had obtained - and some properties.