Johor Bahru Selatan police chief Raub Selamat said the teenagers, aged 15, 17 and 18, were arrested in Pontian at 5.40pm, Bernama reported.

In a statement, Raub said the trio would be remanded for four days starting today following an order issued by magistrate Nur Fatin Farid.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that police arrested the main suspect – a 41-year-old man who is the business partner of the boy’s father – on Dec 12.

The suspect was reported to have planned the kidnapping with three accomplices to demand a RM300,000 ransom. However, no ransom was paid.

The main suspect, a mechanic, was charged with kidnapping under Section 363 of the Penal Code at the magistrates’ court here on Tuesday.

Previously, it was reported that a kidnapping had been foiled by a Singaporean permanent resident who said he sustained serious injuries and lost several teeth while preventing his son from being abducted.