Gang member, 35, who kidnapped wealthy Chinese businessman from a golf course and kept him in a cage before demanding $15million in Bitcoin is jailed for 12 years

A gang member who kidnapped a wealthy Chinese businessman has been jailed for 12 years.

Tianfu Guo, 35, has been found guilty of kidnapping Dylan Huang and then demanding a ransom of $15million in Bitcoins for his release. 

Guo was sentenced today to 12 years imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap and 12 years imprisonment for conspiracy to blackmail. The sentences were ordered by a judge to run concurrently.

He was cleared of conspiracy to possess an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. 

A jury at St Albans Crown Court heard that on Tuesday October 23 2023 Mr Huang was playing golf with three others at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire when five men jumped out of a car and rushed him.

They assaulted him and bundled him into a black Audi Q7 at gunpoint in broad daylight. 

The court was told that the victim was taken to a holiday home that his captors had rented in Thursley, Surrey. He was put in a small cage and the captors demanded a ransom of 15 million dollars to be paid in bitcoin.

Eventually, the gang released him in a remote area near the Silvermere Golf course in Cobham, Surrey, close to the junction of the M25 and A3. Mr Huang raised the alarm at an isolated house at around 11pm on October 25 last year.

The businessman told the police that no ransom had been paid to the men either by himself or by any of his contacts.  

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said that the victim was beaten, not allowed to use the toilet and given only a small amount of food.

'Fast-time police inquiries saw Guo located in central London the following night. He had driven to the Chinatown area, where he was arrested at 9.41pm.

'An SD card which was recovered from his vehicle showed surveillance video footage of the victim.

'Just over an hour after Guo's arrest, the victim was released. He had injuries to his eyes after being punched by his captors and blindfolded tight. Police took him to hospital and thankfully he made a full physical recovery.'

Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: 'This was and remains a complicated case and I am pleased that Guo will be facing justice behind bars. 

'We continue to work hard to ensure that others involved in this offence are also brought to justice.

'It was a fast-moving operation and we quickly established that the victim had been kidnapped in a vehicle which was using cloned plates. I would like to thank all the officers who were involved as their determination meant we quickly arrested Guo and the victim was released before any further harm could be inflicted.

'My thoughts are with the victim today and I commend his bravery. It must have been an incredibly frightening experience which will take a long time to recover from. Kidnappings are often complex to investigate.'

The spokesman added that a number of other suspects identified were believed to have fled the UK.

Guo was found guilty at St Albans Crown Court on Friday April 25.