Kidnappers reportedly planned to snatch Pax Jolie from his new mum Angelina Jolie when the pair arrived back in the US last week and hold the three year old to ransom for $100million.

Life & Style magazine is reporting that there was a “meticulously planned” plot decided to coincide with Pax’s arrival in the US from his native Vietnam. The magazine claims the gang responsible are experienced in executing kidnapping and extortion crimes and “are highly skilled operatives with little regard for human life”.

An inside source claiming to be close to the family’s security team told the magazine that the family have faced such threats before but this one was deemed to be particularly “credible and serious”.

The source said Brad Pitt heard about the threat from the security team while Angelina was in Vietnam finalising Pax’s adoption: “The life drained out of Brad when he heard [about the threat]. He was a wreck.”

“He didn’t want to tell Angie the extent of the threat, especially not until she returned stateside. But he had no choice. She needed to know so she could take the necessary precautions.”

The source added that Brad has installed a $500,000 security system in the family’s home in New Orleans to keep their four children safe.