Three British Men Arrested in Costa del Sol Kidnap Plot
Three British men have been dramatically arrested in Spain after allegedly kidnapping a UK cryptocurrency broker in a plot to extort money from him.
The Spanish police released video footage showing the tense moment when officers surrounded an Audi, where the suspects tried to escape.
The police moved in after the victim managed to break free, and the three men were arrested at gunpoint.
The Kidnap Plot Unfolds
The incident began after the victim, a 34-year-old trader, crossed paths with the suspects during a chance encounter in Marbella.
After chatting with them, he agreed to meet up at an apartment in Estepona, a nearby resort town.
Unbeknownst to him, the suspects were holding him hostage, demanding a ransom of 30,000 euros (about £25,000) for his release.
The victim, who spoke Hindi, managed to escape by pretending to call a customer to get a code for accessing his cryptocurrency wallet.
Instead, he called a friend in London and explained his dire situation in a language the kidnappers couldn’t understand.
His friend quickly alerted the victim’s mother, who then contacted the police.
The Rescue Operation
Once the authorities were informed, they launched a massive operation to locate the apartment where the victim was being held.
Armed officers tracked down the building, and just as they were preparing to bring in specialized reinforcements, the victim saw an opportunity to escape.
One of the kidnappers was distracted, looking at his phone, when the victim made a run for it.
He jumped over 30 feet from a balcony, injuring his ankles in the process.
Meanwhile, the suspects attempted to flee in their Audi, but the police quickly moved in and arrested them.
Inside the apartment, officers discovered more than £8,000 in euros, two firearms, three knives, and 25 grams of pink cocaine.
The Aftermath
The three British men, whose names have not been released, were arrested and remanded to prison after a court appearance.
Police have revealed that the operation, which lasted seven hours, was codenamed “Operation Espino.
” A spokesperson from the National Police in Malaga confirmed that the men faced multiple charges, including kidnapping, wounding, belonging to a criminal organization, illegal weapons possession, and drug trafficking.
The investigation began when police were alerted to the kidnapping on February 1.
Detectives were able to locate the area where the victim was being held, and through a series of observations, they witnessed the victim escaping.
After the rescue, he was taken to a hospital to treat injuries he sustained during his fall.
The suspects were found trying to flee in a high-powered vehicle, and during a search of the apartment, police uncovered more evidence, including designer watches, a money-counting machine, and a scale.
All three suspects were British nationals, and it is believed they have criminal records in the UK related to weapons and drug offenses.
The Plan Behind the Kidnap
According to police, the kidnappers targeted the victim after learning he worked in the cryptocurrency market and had access to large sums of digital currency.
They had initially met the trader two weeks prior in a hotel in Marbella, where they struck up a conversation.
After a meal together, the victim agreed to go for drinks at their Estepona apartment, where he was ultimately taken hostage.
During the ordeal, the kidnappers tied him up and threatened to kill him unless he accessed his clients’ crypto wallets to pay the ransom.
In the end, the victim’s quick thinking and the intervention of his friend and the police led to a successful operation and the arrest of the criminals.