Remember When: 10-year-old Marissa Wong was returned to her parents following kidnapping

A MOTHER, father and daughter wept and hugged each other in an emotion-charged reunion following a 16-hour kidnapping nightmare.

Gold Coast History: Gold Coast Bulletin 1989, May 9. Front page.

Gold Coast Bulletin, Tuesday May 9, 1989

A MOTHER, father and daughter wept and hugged each other in an emotion-charged reunion following a 16-hour kidnapping nightmare.

Even hardened police shed tears of joy as Marissa Wong was reunited with her parents at Broadbeach Police Station after being dumped by her three kidnappers at Main Beach at 1.20pm the previous day.

Minutes later the police chased and captured the first of three kidnappers at Nobby Beach.

Then just hours later Murwillumbah detectives pounced on the other two in NSW.

It was the end of an ordeal during which an armed gang which kidnapped Marissa from her Benowa home demanded a ransom of $2 million for her release.

The 10-year-old was taken by the three men, understood to be of a Cantonese background, who broke into the Wong family’s Cabana Blvd home.

Gold Coast Bulletin 1989, May 9. Front page.

The gang beat up the home’s owners, Cheukyun and Marianna Wong before tying them up with masking tape. Mr Wong was a Chinese-born businessman.

A member of the gang was armed with a gun while the others had knives. The men took some money and warned the Wongs they should not call the police for at least an hour or otherwise they would hurt the girl.

During the intense search, police visited hotels and motels across the city to find the girl.

The kidnappers’ demands for a ransom later dropped to $500,000, then to $200,000.

Marissa was later found near a bakery on Tedder Ave.