The Prosecutor’s Office of the Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) filed an indictment against three Chinese citizens, with temporary residence in Brcko, for the kidnapping of two compatriots that took place in that city in May last year.
They are Sun Baowei, born in 1970, Sun Xudong, born in 1981, and Wang Shurui, born in 1977. They are accused of kidnapping compatriots Z. J. and H. G. in front of the NEA Boutique Hotel on May 5th with the aim of extorting money, according to a statement from the Brcko District Prosecutor’s Office.
Baowei and Xudong are accused of having waited for the victims to leave the hotel with two bodyguards on May 5th, at around 9 a.m., with the intention of extorting a business debt from Z.J., and then, with threats, forced them into a car and drove them to the nearby apartment of the third defendant, Shurui.
They illegally held them there until the evening hours and, threatening them with guns, conditioned them to return the sum of 125.000 euros to the first accused in the name of debt from earlier business relations. At the same time, Xudong showed a gun and a bat, threatening to attack the life and body of the injured, while Baowei made a serious threat to break their legs and arms. At the same time, Baowei’s bodyguards told them that they would not leave the apartment until the money problem was resolved, even indicating that they knew where their families were, while Shurui indicated that the threats were serious and that she would not have patience for long, according to the indictment.
Using the phone that was left for him for contacts to send money, Z. J. managed to send a call for help to a friend, who reported the incident to the Brcko District Police of BiH that evening. The kidnappers were soon arrested, and during the investigation at the scene of the crime, the Police found two pistols, which were illegally possessed by the second defendant, Xudong.
Due to the danger of escape, and after the arrest and handing over of the suspects to the Prosecutor’s Office, a proposal was submitted to order detention for Baowei and Xudong, which the court accepted, while certain prohibition measures were also proposed for Shurui.
Baowei, Xudong, and Shurui were charged before the Basic Court with the crime of kidnapping, committed as part of the group. Also, Xudong was charged with the crime of unauthorized acquisition and possession or sale of weapons or essential parts for weapons. In the stage of the preliminary hearing before the court, the indictment was fully confirmed on December 27th, 2022, the Prosecutor’s Office stated.
E.Dz.
