An Indian businessman who was seized in the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo 19 days ago by a kidnapping ring has been freed, Kinshasa police said today.
Hermnani Ritesh, who operates a travel agency, was freed on Saturday by security forces and three people were arrested, said police spokesman Colonel Pierre-Rombaut Mwanamputu.
The kidnapping ring was comprised of four men from Nambia, Mozambique, Cameroon and DR Congo who had demanded a ransom of USD 2 million for Ritesh's release.
"It's the first time that this type of kidnapping" for ransom had occurred in Kinshasa, Mwanamputu said, adding that police were still searching for accomplices on the run.
The charge d'affaire at the Indian Embassy in DR Congo praised the police for the "happy end" to the abduction, and said he hoped others involved would be "arrested quickly".
Although rare in the capital, kidnappings of both Congolese and foreigners are fairly common in eastern parts of the vast central African country, which has been wracked by armed conflict for over twenty years.
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