Seven people suspected of kidnapping Wu Ruofu, a well-known Chinese TV actor, were arrested with the approval of the People's Procuratorate of Beijing Municipality Monday.

Wang Lihua, jobless, and the six others arrested kidnapped Wu claiming to be policemen outside a bar located in east Beijing's Chaoyang District at around one a.m. on Feb. 3, according to a source at the Beijing Procuratorate.

The armed kidnappers then held Wu in Yuzhuang Village, in suburban Beijing's Shunyi District, demanding a ransom of 2.1 million yuan (US$253,930).

Wu was rescued later the same day.

Wang's gang is said to have committed at least three other kidnaps -- on Sep. 1, 2003, Jan. 6, 2004 and Feb. 2, 2004, according to the source.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2004)