An Iranian man kidnapped earlier this month from his Tokyo apartment for a 10 million yen ransom was rescued Friday in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, police said Saturday.
The police said they arrested three Iranian men who police officials said were with Ramin Armani, 31, in a car parked at the Takasaka rest area on the Kanetsu expressway.
The victim had sustained bruises around his eyes and to his back, the police said.
The police identified the suspects as Reza Kamaloo, 29, Ali Aryafar, 29, and Mohammad Fatalipour, 38.
The police believe Armani was kidnapped from his apartment on Nov. 22.
Police said Armani's 34-year-old uncle, who lives in Tokyo's Minato Ward, received a call last Sunday from someone threatening to assault Armani if a 10 million yen ransom was not paid.
The uncle received several dozen more calls in which the caller reduced the ransom demand from 10 million yen to 6 million yen and then to 2 million yen without identifying a place where the money could be left, the police said.