Three farmers from east China's Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, who collaborated with a police officer from Zaozhuang City of Shandong Province to abduct a man from Taiwan and his relatives, were convicted of kidnapping on Monday by the Intermediate People's Court of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province.

Zhu Xinyu, 35, and Hui Xiang, 36, are both farmers from Xiaoxian County of Anhui. Zhu were sentenced to life imprisonment and deprived of his political rights for life, plus a fine of 20,000 yuan. Hui was sentenced to a jail term of 15 years and deprived of his political rights for five years, along with a fine of 10,000 yuan.

Liu Fayu, 51, a farmer from Fengxian County of Jiangsu, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and was deprived of his political rights for one year, plus a fine of 10,000 yuan.

Deng Shuyi, a policeman with the Xinhua police station under the Xuecheng District Branch of Zaozhuang City Bureau of Public Security, Shandong Province, who was found guilty of illegal detainment, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.

The court was told that one day in October 2002, Zhu Xinyu went to Liu Fayu's place to borrow money. Liu told Zhu his fellow villager Han Jing was very rich as Han's father in-law was a Taiwan compatriot.

Using a false excuse, Zhu found Hui Xiang via Deng Shuyi, the police officer, in late 2002 and asked Hui to get money from Han. Hui then led several men to break into Han's residence on January 5. They disguised themselves as public security officers and kidnapped Han, his wife, as well as his father in-law, Wu Anguo, the Taiwan man.

The culprits tortured the victims and asked for ransom money. The three victims were released on January 8 after they paid 234,000 yuan and US$20,000 in ransom.

Hui Xiang was detained together with Deng two days later by the police and Zhu and Liu were also captured later.

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