Spanish Police release kidnapped man after being held captive for seven days

POLICE have released a man who had been held for seven days while his kidnappers demanded a €2 million ransom.

The Argentinian victim was being held at a property in Madrid’s Prosperidad (Prosperity) district by a gang of five men – four French and one Russian. Their hopes of prospering from their crime were scuppered by National Police.

An investigation began after Spanish police received, through diplomatic channels, a complaint filed in Argentina by a relative of the abductee.

The Argentine consulate in Spain reported that a relative of the abducted man had been contacted from Spain with demands for a €2 million ransom to be paid for his release.

The victim himself also contacted the relative by phone warning of the seriousness of the situation and asking for the ransom to be paid. He said he and his entire family had been threatened with their lives if the demands were not met.

The Spanish authorities were first notified on Monday (June 24) and within a matter of hours had found the house where the kidnapped man was being held.

As police arrived to surround the house, they realised the gang together with the victim were leaving the property. Fearing he was being moved to another location or was about to be harmed, officers moved in on the gang immediately, making five arrests.

Police say four of the detained have experience in weapons handling and military operations.