Police free teen kidnapped in Algeciras over drugs debt

AN operation carried out by the National Police and the French Gendarmerie resulted in an 18-year-old man being freed from captivity.

Six people were arrested, two of them in Marbella and four in France, for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of the young man, due to a settling of scores between hashish traffickers who operated between Morocco, Spain and France.

The investigation began when a man reported the kidnapping and said the family had been asked for a ransom of €300,000. The kidnappers claimed that the victim’s brother had stolen a large quantity of hashish from them. It was found the calls had been made from France and the French police were involved.

The victim, who was captured in Algeciras was initially held at a Marbella urbanization before being taken to France and later to Girona, where he was set free. From there, he travelled to Barcelona, and police took him to hospital. He then returned to Malaga by plane, and was later transported to Algeciras.

The leader of the gang, who organized the kidnapping, was one of the two men arrested in Marbella.

Police seized bullet-proof vests, weapons, 17 kilos of hashish, €13,200 in cash and several quantities of cocaine, heroin and cannabis resin. The investigation is ongoing and further arrests are expected.