30-year-old man sought by authorities in Switzerland over two ‘kidnappings’
A Portuguese national has been arrested following a routine traffic stop in Spain. His identification papers flagged up the fact that he was being sought by authorities in Switzerland over two kidnappings in the space of a week: one at the end of last year, the other at the beginning of this year.
According to reports, the arrest was something of a fluke. The driver of the Swiss-plated car was not the ‘suspect on the run’. The passenger was the suspect – and his passport was only discovered under one of the car’s carpets…
Police in Castell-Platja d’Aro, “analysed the passport”, explains SIC Notícias, and realised it belonged to the passenger; that he was wanted by police in Switzerland, and already the subject of a European Arrest Warrant.
Regarding the kidnappings: the first took place on December 29, when “the Portuguese and three others forced an individual into their car, threatening to cut his fingers off. The kidnapped man managed to escape in the area of Lausanne.
“Six days later in the municipality of Verney, the Portuguese national allegedly, also with the help of three people, kidnapped another man, forcing him to enter a vehicle in the same way to the previous crime” (ie threatening him with extreme violence).
“The victim was gagged and bound, beaten up and a ransom video was sent to his family.
“The next day the victim was released in France, without it being revealed whether or not the ransom was paid”.
Source material: SIC
