Hong Kong police hunt kidnappers who fled with 'millions'

Hong Kong police were hunting for up to six men who kidnapped a woman then reportedly fled with millions in ransom after their hostage was rescued, authorities said Wednesday.

Police reportedly placed roadblocks on major highways and tunnels in the financial hub after rescuing the unidentified 29-year-old woman, as local media said her relatives paid HK$28 million (US$3.61 million) for her release.

Authorities said the kidnapping took place Saturday, along with the theft of around HK$2 million worth of valuables from a residential unit in the remote Tseung Kwan O region.

"The woman was successfully rescued yesterday night, she was not injured," the police statement said Wednesday.

The statement said the search is on for "five to six Chinese men that are suspected to have escaped with the ransom money".

The suspects had demanded up to HK$50 million for the unidentified woman's release, but settled on HK$28 million, with the money handed over late Tuesday, the South China Morning Post reported.

Video footage on Cable News showed a police helicopter hovering over the Tseung Kwan O area, from where the woman was kidnapped, around midnight.

The southern Chinese city of seven million people is considered to be safe, with violent crimes in 2014 falling almost 10 percent from 2013.

Robberies also fell 38.2 percent to 309 cases in 2014, compared to figures from 2013.