Police arrested four men to assist investigation into the case of a 13-year-old boy kidnapped in a playground near his house on June 29.

Penang Crime Investigation Department chief Datuk Razaruddin Hussain @ Abdul Rashid said the four men, aged in their 20s, were arrested in the Seberang Perai Tengah district from yesterday until early this morning.

He said the teenager is the son of a businessman with a ‘Datuk’ title and was safe as well as released after a ransom was paid. However he declined to disclose the amount of money paid.

According to him, the teenager was reported abducted by a group of men while playing with several of his friends at a playground at about 3 pm.

“Two men alighted from the vehicle and grabbed the teenager to the vehicle before speeding off,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today.

Razaruddin said the incident was discovered by the people in the area and they tried to help chase after the suspect’s vehicle but was unsuccessful.

Subsequently the police launched an operation and managed to find the Form three student at Alma at about 11pm on the same day, he said.

He said the police was now tracing several other suspects, including the main mastermind of the case.