Yevgeny Kaspersky, the founder of leading anti-virus maker Kaspersky Lab whose wealth is estimated at $800 million, has not commented publicly on the reports of his son’s kidnapping.
The kidnapped son of software multimillionaire Yevgeny Kaspersky has been returned to his family unharmed, media reported over the weekend, though reports differed on whether he was let go for ransom or rescued by police.
Ivan Kaspersky, 20, disappeared on Tuesday on his way to work.
Neither police nor Yevgeny Kaspersky, founder of leading anti-virus maker Kaspersky Lab whose wealth is estimated at $800 million, have commented publicly on the reports.
Lifenews.ru, which broke the story of the disappearance, reported Friday that Ivan Kaspersky was released after his father paid the requested ransom, earlier put at 3 million euros ($4.3 million).
Moscow police spokesman Viktor Biryukov confirmed to Interfax on Sunday that Ivan Kaspersky had been freed physically unharmed.
Biryukov did not say how the young man was freed, but an unidentified law enforcement official told Interfax that police have detained five suspects.
The criminals were “tricked,” with the suspected kidnappers and a middleman detained while accepting a down payment on the ransom, the official said. The suspected mastermind has a criminal record, he said.
Kidnapping is punishable with up to 15 years in prison.
A spokeswoman for Kaspersky Lab was unavailable for comment Sunday. An Interior Ministry spokesman also refused to comment on the matter, Lifenews.ru said.
This is the second time since March when the children of top business executives have disappeared. Last month, Viktoria Teslyuk, daughter of senior executive Robert Teslyuk, went missing in the Moscow region on the way to a private math lesson. She remains missing with no word of any ransom demands.
Two Chechen natives were convicted last year of kidnapping Mikhail Stavsky, son of a vice president of the same name, in 2009. Stavsky was released without ransom.
There were about 700 kidnappings in Russia last year, down from 1,000 in 2009, according to Interior Ministry statistics.