QCOSTARICA – The family Ryan Piercy, gone missing a month ago, paid out US$20.000 for his release, although the initial demand had been US$500.000 ransom.
The money was deposited in an offshore account and not in Bitcoin, as had previously been asked by the captors.
The information was confirmed by the head of the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), Francisco Segura.
Ryan, arrived home in the Sabana Sur in a taxi, in the small hours of Sunday morning.
Segura said that Ryan was taken Monday to the Forensics Laboratory (Medicatura Forense in Spanish) in Heredia for a complete medical exam.
“He knocked on the door of his house and we all surprised, even his family,” said Segura, adding that investigators were working with the family during the time of the apparent abduction.
Segura said that not interviewed thoroughly because “comes from a traumatic situation” and that, therefore, the police can not say for sure yet that has been a kidnapping.
“Now we have to see if they know where he was held and other important information,” said the director of the OIJ.
Ryan disappeared on January 20.
Segura explained that initial demands by the alleged kidnappers, payment in virtual currency, was a difficult one.
“You have to buy from someone who has (bitcoin) and establish an electronic wallet. (Criminals) wanted it to innovate but had not done their research, ” he explained.
OIJ director added that, to address this situation (the unusual payment request) agents of the International Police (Interpol) were involved in the case. “They had never seen a negotiation like this,” said Segura.
Due to limitations of the virtual currency transaction, the ransom payment was made by deposit in a bank account.
As part of the negotiations, the alleged kidnappers had sent some photographs of Piercy as proof of life.
