Dutchman freed after 11 days after being kidnapped in Spain
A Dutchman was recently freed by the Spanish police after spending 11 days as a hostage. He was kidnapped at his home in Lloret de Mar in mid-June and his abductors demanded 1.5 million euros in ransom. The man was freed just before the ransom was paid, AD reports.
The perpetrators were wearing police uniforms when they grabbed the Dutch man as he tried to enter his home. He was beaten, drugged and blindfolded before being forced into the trunk of a car.
The man's wife made arrangements with the abductors to pay the ransom - the money was to be dropped at a hotel next to a highway near Madrid. The Spanish police placed surveillance in the area and saw the victim being moved from a home and into the cargo area of a van a few hours before the ransom drop. This happened in the town of Casarrubios del Monte, southwest of Madrid.
The police immediately raided the home and freed the Dutch man, who was drugged and only half conscious. He sustained no serious injuries, but was taken to a hospital to be checked over.
Four kidnappers were arrested on the spot. A fifth escaped through the roof of the home and was caught a day later.
The abductors are members of an Eastern European gang, according to AD. The leader of the group is a Romanian who worked at a hospital in Madrid. The Spanish police believe that's where they got the drugs used to sedate the Dutch man. Why he was targeted is still unclear.
