Three sentenced over Bristol kidnapping
Three men have been sentenced after pleading guilty to taking part in a kidnapping plot in Bristol.
Police rescued a 20-year-old Chinese national from a house in Oldbury Court Road in Fishponds, on 9 January.
Chen Ren, 24, and Feng Li, 21, admitted kidnap and robbery while Xue Qun, 22, admitted false imprisonment.
Ren and Li were sentenced to 10 years in prison at Bristol Crown Court and Qun received six years. All three are of no fixed address.
The court heard the victim, Yan Qing, had answered a job advert on the Chinese social network site Netbirds.
The offer of work in one of Bristol's Chinese restaurants was false.
When she arrived at Bristol Parkway railway station last month, she was bundled into a car, held at knife point, had a rope placed round her neck and was driven to Fishponds.
Det Insp Simon Wilstead said Avon and Somerset Police had worked closely with the Chinese community in Bristol and the Metropolitan Police in London.
"Armed officers entered the house in Fishponds and rescued the hostage from the bedroom of the house," he said.
She had been missing for several days when she was rescued by police.
In December, another Chinese chef answered a similar advert.
When he was captured at Parkway station he fought back and badly cut his hand during a struggle before being dumped at the roadside.
The court was told he was threatened by the gang and told he would have his fingers chopped off if his family did not give him money.
The female victim's family were contacted in China and told their daughter would be killed unless they found £15,000.
Jailing the trio, the judge said it was "not difficult to imagine how terrified your victims were".
All three will be deported once they have served their sentences.