Abducted man rescued in Amsterdam; 6 arrested

A man was abducted and held hostage in Amsterdam West on Saturday afternoon. He was rescued during the early hours of Sunday morning, when the police managed to force the car he was transported in off the road. A total of six suspects were arrested.

A police observation team spotted two cars they believed to be connected to the hostage-taking during the early hours of Sunday morning. A SWAT team managed to force one of the cars off the road on Marnixstraat at around 1:30 a.m. The victim was inside the car and freed. He did not have need medical treatment, the police said. Three suspects who were also in the car were arrested.

The second car was forced to a standstill near the Lijnbaansgracht police station, the police said. Three more suspects were arrested.

Passersby recorded the action on Marnixstraat. One video sent to AT5 shows a bystander running at a police officer. A member of the SWAT team pushed him to the ground and told him to get away, according to the Amsterdam broadcaster. The police said in a statement that the man did not know what was going on, but quickly realized that he was "doing something very undesirable".

According to the police, there was also an incident in Noord-Brabant on Saturday that was connected to this abduction. Though exactly what this incident entailed, and where it happened, the police did not say.

The six suspects are in restricted custody, which means that they are only allowed contact with their lawyers. The motive for the abduction is not yet clear. The police are investigating.