Alleged kidnapping of 12yo boy 'linked to international syndicate'
Queensland police are probing possible links to a global extortion racket in the kidnapping case of a Gold Coast schoolboy.
A key suspect remains on the run after the 12-year-old was dragged into a car and tied up on Friday afternoon in Mudgeeraba.
The boy was found 200km south in Grafton, NSW, on Saturday following a tip-off from a member of the public.
The abduction was reportedly in some way related to a $4 million gambling debt, The Courier Mail reported.
“It’s more along the lines of sort of personal loans with each other, again we’re looking into digging into that other stuff,” Detective Inspector Marc Hogan said.
A 53-year-old man has been arrested and will face court on Monday over the alleged kidnapping for ransom.
He had allegedly fallen out with the boy’s family over the “substantial” personal loans, police say.
He is due to be extradited to Queensland after he allegedly took the boy across state lines to NSW.
Officers are expected to apply for his extradition in Grafton Local Court on Monday, after which he is due to be formally charged with kidnapping for ransom.
The boy has since been reunited with his family.
