TWO MEN ARRESTED FOR COSTA DEL SOL KIDNAP THAT LASTED 11 DAYS

Two men have been arrested and remanded in custody on the Costa del Sol for allegedly kidnapping and holding a man hostage for 11 days. During this time, they mutilated the victim by cutting off part of his ear and filmed the act on a mobile phone. The video was sent to the victim's family along with a demand for a 1.4 million euro ransom.

The victim was held captive at a farm in Torrox, located on the eastern side of Malaga province. It remains unclear whether the ransom was paid, but the man was eventually released in Mijas by his captors.

The kidnapping took place in April 2023. A relative of the victim reported the crime, prompting the launch of Operation Rotator by the Udyco-Costa del Sol organized crime team. The complainant revealed that the victim had traveled from Morocco to Malaga for a "business" meeting, reportedly related to drug trafficking, and was subsequently held against his will.

The kidnappers contacted the victim's family by phone, demanding 1.4 million euros for his release. They also sent a video showing one of the kidnappers cutting off a piece of the victim's ear with a machete. The victim was gagged, with his hands and feet tied, eyes covered, and face bruised, according to Malaga's provincial police.

Upon their inquiries, officers discovered that the victim had been released in an isolated area in Mijas. After receiving medical assistance, he provided a statement detailing his ordeal, including being deprived of food and given very little water.

Investigations centered on the location of the initial meeting in a supermarket car park in Benalmádena, where the victim entered a van with his captors and was driven to the farm in Torrox. He was held there from April 8 to April 19, 2023.

The data collected led to the identification of both the van used to transport the victim and a second car used during his release, both of which were rental vehicles. The exact location of the rural property where the abduction took place was determined to be rented under a false French identity. A forensic inspection revealed numerous biological traces, including blood, and the knife used in the mutilation.

Police identified the person who drove the victim to the property and filmed the assault as a French citizen of Algerian origin residing in Estepona. Another French Algerian man was identified as the alleged mastermind behind the kidnapping.

Fearing that one suspect might flee to France, officers arrested him and searched his residence, seizing an AK-47 assault rifle, three pistols, and about 500 cartridges of different calibres, among other items.

On April 30, the second suspect was arrested in Paris, thanks to a European Arrest Warrant issued by a court in Torremolinos, which is overseeing the investigation. The two men are charged with kidnapping, assault, membership in a criminal organization, and possession of weapons of war.