Dad tracks down long-lost son 24 years after he was snatched by human traffickers – World News

A dad has tracked down his son 24 years after he was snatched by human traffickers.

Guo Gangtang’s son was snatched at the age of two in front of their home in Shandong province of China.

His son’s disappearance inspired a film in 2015, which starred Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau.

Child abductions are a big problem in China, with thousands taken every year.

The BBC reports that according to China’s Ministry of Public Security, the police were able to trace his son’s identity using DNA testing.

Two suspects were later tracked down and have been arrested, said a report by Global Times.

The suspects allegedly planned to kidnap a child with the intention of selling him for money, said a report by China News.

After spotting Mr Guo’s son playing alone outside his home, the female suspect identified only by her surname Tang grabbed him and took him to the bus station, where her partner, a Mr Hu, was waiting.

The couple then took an intercity coach to neighbouring Henan province and sold him there.

Local media said Mr Guo’s son was found still living in the province.

“Now that the child has been found, everything can only be happy from now on,” Mr Guo is said to have told reporters.

After his son was abducted in 1997, Mr Guo travelled to more than 20 provinces around the country on the back of a motorbike chasing tip-offs.

It saw him travel over 500,000km (310,000 miles) across the country.

He suffered broken bones in traffic accidents and encountered highway robbers during the search.

Ten of his motorbikes were also reportedly damaged.

Carrying around banners with his son’s picture on them, he is said to have spent his life savings for his mission, sleeping under bridges and begging for money when he ran out of cash.

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He has also become a prominent member of missing-persons organisations in China while looking for his son and has helped at least seven parents reunite with their abducted kids.

As soon as news broke that Mr Guo’s son had been found Chinese social media was reportedly overwhelmed with messages of support for the father.

One person wrote on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo: “So many parents would have probably given up long ago. He is so amazing and I’m truly happy for him,”

In China, the abduction and trafficking of babies has been a problem for decades.

In 2015, estimates say 20,000 children were abducted every year in China. Many of them are sold into adoption, both domestically and overseas.