Police in Ha Noi arrested 45-year-old Vu Thi Thuy Lieu for alleged kidnapping of a three year-old girl.

The baby is handed over to her parents.

If found guilty, Lieu faces 5-10 years in prison.

Lieu, of Ha Noi's suburban district of Dong Anh, admitted to the police that due to personal financial problems, she abducted the child to extort VND30million (US$1,400).

According to Lieu, she saw Nguyen Thanh Hang of Thanh Tri District on Saturday when she was playing with friends near a local culture house.

When she noticed that no adults were supervising the group, Lieu kidnapped the child and took her to a friend's house in Ha Dong district's Kien Hung ward.

In a letter to the girl's parents, Lieu told them to call a mobile phone number to get information about their daughter, warning them not to tell anyone about the situation.

However, the father already reported to the police when the girl disappeared and they started investigating immediately on December 13.

Police found Lieu a key suspect and their search at her residence on Sunday found evidence of the abduction, including the clothes and mask she wore on Saturday.

Hang was returned to her parents yesterday.

VNS/VNN