A man from China was kidnapped by a gang and used as a “blood slave” in Cambodia for nearly half a year after a phony job advertisement duped him into traveling, according to a report.

The 31-year-old man, identified by his surname Li, escaped his captors earlier this month with the help of a gang member in Sihanoukville where he was being held, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports. Li had been a “blood slave” since last August, and roughly 800 ml – or nearly 1.7 pints of blood – was drawn from him monthly.

For reference, the average person has roughly ten pints of blood in his or her body. During blood donations, typically, 1 pint – or just over 470 ml – is drawn, according to the American Red Cross. The blood volume is replaced in 24-48 hours, though red blood cells replenish in 10-12 weeks, which is why blood donors have to wait 12 weeks between whole blood donations, Australia’s Better Health Channel states.

The last time the captors took blood from Li before his escape, his arms failed to yield the desired amount, so a nurse drew from his head, per the SCMP. The gang likely sold the blood to private buyers.

When he was placed in a hospital on February 12, he suffered from organ failure and was nearing death, the outlet reports, citing the Asia Pacific Times. He is now stable and continues to receive treatment.

Per the SCMP:

Li had worked as a security guard in Shenzhen and Beijing before being lured to the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in southern China by a fake job advertisement. Once there he was abducted by a gang who took him to the China-Vietnam border and forced him to cross at gunpoint.

Li was taken to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam before a ship transported him to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, where he was sold to another gang for $18,500, the victim said. His new captors were running a fraudulent company, according to the SCMP.

“From top managers to HR staff [of this company] are all Chinese. They treat us coldly,” Li said. He noted he and the other victims were treated as “tools for making money” and said he was one of at least eight men held captive.    

Li stated he was turned into a blood slave after the gang learned he was an orphan who would not command a ransom. He noted one gang member told him that he would be sold for organ harvest if he did not give blood, the SCMP reported, citing the Asia Pacific Times. 

The escapee said that the other victims did not have as much blood taken as he did because of his O blood type. 

“Your type O blood is quite valuable!” said the “doctor” who initially examined his blood, Li recalled. 

On Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia took to its website and urged the country’s police to prioritize the case, the SCMP reports.