Police seize suspects in extortion probe

POLICE have caught 17 suspects who allegedly extorted money from 51 families by threatening their children in south China's Shenzhen City.

The police raid was launched after parents in the Guangdong Province city reported demands of up to 20,000 yuan (US$2,930) from cell phone messages, today's Xinhua news agency reported.

No children were actually abducted. Police netted 17 people and seized more than 90 fake IDs, 106 bankcards and 32 phone cards.

Last year at least two children were killed in a spate of child abductions in the city.

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