KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian and French police have cracked a kidnapping syndicate with the arrest of six suspects here and four others in Paris.

Police also rescued two Sri Lankan men and a teenager who were held for ransom at two locations in Setapak, here, according to an online newstraitstimes report.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said the victims were kidnapped while they were waiting to be sent as refugees to a third country.

Bakri said the 16-year-old teenager was rescued on Oct 28, while the two men, aged 57 and 63, were found the next day.

He said the boy was kidnapped on Oct 26.

The boy’s parents in Sri Lanka informed police here after receiving a ransom demand of E5,000 (RM25,000) from France. The ransom was to be paid to the ring members who were in that country.

"We immediately got in touch with our French counterparts and Interpol. Based on information received from the French police, we raided a house in Setapak and rescued the boy.

"The boy was locked up, starved and abused. We also picked up six Sri Lankan and local suspects," he said.

The suspects then led police to another location where the two elderly men were rescued.

"After the victims were rescued, French police picked up four Sri Lankans in Paris."

The victims had fled Sri Lanka seeking to be refugees in another country.

There were here while their papers were being processed.

Bakri said police were still trying to nab the mastermind of the syndicate.

Sources told the New Straits Times that for a fee, the syndicate would help Sri Lankan nationals escape and come here on a tourist visa before applying for refugee status in a third country.

In some cases, the syndicate would demand more money from the victims before sending them to a third country.

There have been reports that the victims were abused until the money was wired into the account of the syndicate.