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Expat in Lloret kidnapped and drugged by Eastern European mafia gang
| Published: | 4 Jul at 6 PM |
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Expats in the Spanish seaside retirement hub of Lloret de Mar were shocked to find out one of their community had been kidnapped and held for ransom by an Eastern European mafia-style gang.
The scary episode began when a Dutch expat living in the beachside resort of Lloret del Mar was kidnapped, drugged and held for ransom by a gang reputedly originating in Eastern Europe. Disguised as Spanish police, the perpetrators had hidden near the expat’s home and grabbed him when he left his house.
The unnamed Dutchman was beaten, blindfolded and forced into a car boot at gunpoint, then driven away to be held to ransom. According to the victim after he’d been rescued, one of the gang used his mobile phone to contact his wife with a demand for a 1.5 million euro payout. He described his captivity, saying he’d been fed tranquillisers and sedatives by the Romanian leader of the gang, who’d apparently been studying medicine in Madrid.
The victim’s wife immediately contacted local police, who set up a dragnet to track down the gang before the ransom was due to be paid. Eventually, 11 days after the kidnap, police managed to rescue her husband just a few hours before a pre-arranged meeting to hand over the cash at a hotel parking lot close to a motorway.
The rescue took place close to the small town of Casarrubios del Monte, located close to Madrid, with the gang caught and arrested as they were moving the hostage from a house to the van, using a wheelchair. When they realised the game was up, they backtracked into the house but were trapped and arrested by police. To date, no reason has been given for the kidnapping and ransom demand.
Meanwhile, as residents in Huelva were recovering from the effects of last month’s massive forest fire, another blaze broke out on Monday close to the town of Almonaster. Nearby residents were evacuated to several centres including a local sports hall in Minas de Riotinto. At the present time, those who fled from El Campillo have been allowed to return to their homes, but many from Traslassierra are still staying with friends or relatives outside the danger area. Firefighters expect to have dealt with the blaze by Wednesday morning, provided wind directions stay stable.
Source: Olive Press
The scary episode began when a Dutch expat living in the beachside resort of Lloret del Mar was kidnapped, drugged and held for ransom by a gang reputedly originating in Eastern Europe. Disguised as Spanish police, the perpetrators had hidden near the expat’s home and grabbed him when he left his house.
The unnamed Dutchman was beaten, blindfolded and forced into a car boot at gunpoint, then driven away to be held to ransom. According to the victim after he’d been rescued, one of the gang used his mobile phone to contact his wife with a demand for a 1.5 million euro payout. He described his captivity, saying he’d been fed tranquillisers and sedatives by the Romanian leader of the gang, who’d apparently been studying medicine in Madrid.
The victim’s wife immediately contacted local police, who set up a dragnet to track down the gang before the ransom was due to be paid. Eventually, 11 days after the kidnap, police managed to rescue her husband just a few hours before a pre-arranged meeting to hand over the cash at a hotel parking lot close to a motorway.
The rescue took place close to the small town of Casarrubios del Monte, located close to Madrid, with the gang caught and arrested as they were moving the hostage from a house to the van, using a wheelchair. When they realised the game was up, they backtracked into the house but were trapped and arrested by police. To date, no reason has been given for the kidnapping and ransom demand.
Meanwhile, as residents in Huelva were recovering from the effects of last month’s massive forest fire, another blaze broke out on Monday close to the town of Almonaster. Nearby residents were evacuated to several centres including a local sports hall in Minas de Riotinto. At the present time, those who fled from El Campillo have been allowed to return to their homes, but many from Traslassierra are still staying with friends or relatives outside the danger area. Firefighters expect to have dealt with the blaze by Wednesday morning, provided wind directions stay stable.
Source: Olive Press
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