Ottawa, Mar 26 (IANS): Police in Canada has launched a probe to locate a 22-year-old Chinese student after he was apparently kidnapped, the media reported.

The incident took place in the city of Markham Lu Wanzhen and a female friend were exiting his car inside an underground parking lot around 6 p.m. on Saturday when four masked men rushed towards them and grabbed him, CNN quoted the police as saying on Monday.

One of the men was carrying a taser, and when Lu attempted to resist, the man shocked him with it. Lu's friend was unharmed.

Surveillance footage showed men wearing bulky black jackets with their faces covered grabbing Lu and bundling him into a black minivan with stolen plates, later found abandoned in nearby Toronto.

"We're very concerned for the safety of (Lu)," a police spokesman said on Monday. "This incident involved a significant level of violence... He was taken against his will, he was shocked and forced into that van."

The Chinese consulate in Toronto is also working with police on the case and is in communication with Lu's relatives.

In 2017, at least three Chinese international students were targeted by scammers who attempted to extort money from their families back in China.