18-year-old Chinese teen allegedly faked own kidnapping in Malaysia for ransom

A kidnapping case involving an 18-year-old Chinese teenager in Malaysia has taken a dramatic turn, with authorities now alleging that the incident was staged by the youth himself and a 23-year-old accomplice.

The teen, Ye Yingxi, who had been studying at SIM Global Education in Singapore since October 2024, travelled to Johor on 30 April.

He was allegedly abducted by fellow Chinese nationals, who then contacted his parents in Dubai to demand a ransom.

The ransom amount escalated over time and eventually reached 3.5 million yuan (S$621,500).

The alleged kidnappers threatened to sell the teen's organs if payment was not made.

Disturbing Footage and Ransom Demands

According to a China Press report, the teen's parents—a 43-year-old father surnamed Ye and a 40-year-old mother surnamed Cheng—are businesspeople based in Dubai.

On 2 May, at approximately 11:44am, the couple received a disturbing video call from their son's QQ account.

The footage showed the youth with his mouth sealed with black tape, hands tied to a chair, stripped to his underwear, and pushed to the ground.

Water was seen being forced into his mouth while he pleaded for help.

Two other voices, reportedly belonging to Chinese nationals, could be heard in the background.

The kidnappers initially demanded 500,000 yuan (S$88,800).

Hours later, they sent another video of the teen being "beaten" and raised the ransom to 3 million yuan (S$532,700), threatening to kill him and sell his organs.

The parents attempted to negotiate and offered 100,000 yuan (S$17,800) via Alipay, but the payment was rejected.

Alarmed, Cheng and Ye contacted the police and flew to Singapore on the same day.

There, they discovered their son had travelled to Johor on 30 April.

They subsequently proceeded to Kuala Lumpur and lodged a report with the Malaysian police.

Revelation: Orchestrated Plot

On 13 May, Malaysian authorities revealed that the incident was allegedly a staged kidnapping, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Investigations found that the teenager had conspired with Zhang Runbao—a 23-year-old student at the National University of Singapore (NUS)—to carry out the hoax.

Initial doubts were raised due to the lack of detail regarding how the youth was lured to or abducted in Malaysia.

Reports later indicated that he had been playing online games in Singapore the day before his departure to Johor.

The two suspects have since been charged with attempted fraud in a Kuala Lumpur court.

Authorities initially treated the case with urgency, particularly in light of the parents’ immediate actions—flying from Dubai to Singapore, and then to Malaysia, to seek help.

The 23-year-old accomplice was arrested at Penang International Airport on 4 May.

The teen was eventually found in Baling, Kedah, with only a leg injury.

He claimed he had been released and had gone to a police station to call his grandfather in China.

However, inconsistencies in his account during police questioning raised suspicions.

Investigators soon began to believe that the kidnapping had been fabricated.

Malaysian police have not ruled out the possibility that more individuals may have been involved in the alleged staged abduction.

According to 8world News, SIM said it is aware of the legal proceedings and will take disciplinary action in accordance with its code of conduct. Further assessment will be made after the court has reached a verdict.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) also stated that it is aware a student has been charged in Malaysia and is closely monitoring the court developments.