Police officers in Georgia have detained nine citizens of Kazakhstan on suspicion of illegally holding a hostage.

According to investigators, the suspects devised a plan to unlawfully detain a Kazakh citizen, D.A., born in 2004. During the incident, the victim was physically assaulted and threatened with death unless a ransom of $30,000 was paid, The Caspian Post reports via Georgian Interior Ministry's message on Facebook.

All nine suspects were arrested shortly after the crime, following coordinated operational and investigative measures by the Old Tbilisi Police Department.

The case is being investigated under Article 143 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.