Man in custody for holding Frenchman hostage in Rotterdam bathroom

A 31-year-old man from Rotterdam is in custody on suspicion of abducting a Frenchman and holding him hostage in a bathroom. The police rescued the victim on Friday and arrested the suspect, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on Wednesday.

The police started looking for the 29-year-old man from Montepellier after the French authorities alerted Europol that he was being held against his will in Rotterdam.

“It soon became apparent that the victim was being held against his will somewhere in a building in Rotterdam,” the OM said. A SWAT team found him in a home in the Oosterflank district in Rotterdam. The man was in the bathroom, with his hands and feet taped together.

The police freed the victim and arrested the 31-year-old Rotterdam man found in the house. He was arraigned on Tuesday and remanded into custody for another 14 days. The cops also found drugs and cutting agents in the house.

“The police believe several other people are involved in the hostage situation. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests cannot be ruled out.”