Jing'an District People's Court has sentenced a local man who ran a collection agency to 22 months in prison for holding a debtor's daughter and boyfriend against their will, the court said Thursday.

The defendant, who was not identified, was arrested in April after he and his employees kidnapped the couple to coerce a debtor into repaying 700,000 yuan ($112,179), according to a court press release.

The defendant ran an agency that provided debt collection and private detective services. He set it up in March 2010 with borrowed State identification cards. The company took 10 percent to 20 percent of what it collected as commission.

The collection agency advertised on the Internet, but potential clients could also approach it through acquaintances.

In April, the defendant broke into the home of a man who had refused to pay back one of the collection agency's clients. The defendant and his employees beat the man and held his daughter and her boyfriend at an Internet café.

According to his confession to police, the defendant used threats and physical violence, including beatings, to coerce debtors into paying back what they owed.

The court found the defendant guilty of illegal detainment. It also sentenced six of the agency's employees to prison terms that ranged from eight to 22 months.

Global Times