Arrest in abduction of Myanmar teenage girl

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=376768&type=Metro

THE Minhang District Prosecutors Office has arrested a women who allegedly abducted a 16-year-old girl from Myanmar and brought her to Shanghai to marry a local man.

The ordeal of the victim, who was identified only by her surname, Puji, began in June when she left home to find her older sister after her father died and her mother departed.

On her way, she met a man who claimed he could get her a job, authorities said. The man passed Puji to Zheng Qinglan, a 45-year-old woman, at the border between Myanmar and China, and the girl was sent to Shanghai.

Puji later told police she felt helpless after finding herself in a strange place where she couldn't speak the language.



On August 19, prosecutors said Zheng introduced Puji to a cousin, Wei Xiangle, 33, who trades in scrap steel in the city and is unmarried.

Although Wei was puzzled that the girl couldn't speak Chinese, he was told she was from a village in Yunnan Province and didn't like to talk, according to the authorities. Wei married Puji on the night they met, and Zheng was paid 30,000 yuan (US$4,389) as matchmaker, the authorities said.

Two days later, Wei found his new wife had locked herself in a room and began breaking things. Wei called Zheng saying he wanted to end the marriage and asked for his money back. Zheng came to his residence and beat Puji, authorities said.

Police were tipped to the incident by a passer-by. After she was detained, Zheng claimed she was only a matchmaker and received the money as a wedding present.

Police said Zheng had abducted a 17-year-old girl and brought her to Shanghai in May for 30,000 yuan, but the girl fled the next day.

Zheng confessed she took Puji to two other men before meeting with Wei, but neither were willing to marry the girl.

Puji was sent to her sister's after being released by the police, according to police.