By Steven Daniel

KUALA LUMPUR - Police have arrested six men, believed to be part of an international kidnapping syndicate, after they released a 16-year-old boy held captive for five days.

Sources revealed that the suspects, comprising five Sri Lankan and a local, were arrested at a house in Kepong on Saturday.

Police had set up a special operations unit after they learnt of the boy's kidnapping on October 26.

"The teenager, who has a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card, works in Setapak and was kidnapped from there before being brought to a house somewhere in Kepong," the sources said.

It is learnt that the teenager's father, who works in France, made the payment from there, following which the victim was released on Friday around midnight uninjured.

Sources added that the syndicate had demanded a ransom of US$50,000 (RM170,940) from the family and after negotiating, the kidnappers agreed to US$5,000 (RM17,094).

"After the teenager's release, cops stormed a house in Kepong and arrested five men.

"Another suspect was arrested later the same day in the vicinity," they said.

Following the arrest, with assistance from Interpol, police arrested a Sri Lankan national in Paris believed to be part of the syndicate, they added.

The suspects have been placed under remand pending further investigations.

-The Star/Asia News Network