Belgian-Moroccan Man Kidnapped in Ecuador After Online Romance Scam

The 43-year-old man had fallen deeply in love with this woman with whom he only communicated on WhatsApp, and decided to go to Manta to meet her. On July 28, the two lovebirds met on the Barbasquillo beach. But after the meeting, the Belgian-Moroccan was kidnapped by armed men who took him to a rented apartment, reports Brussels Times.

The Belgian-Moroccan was held hostage for four days by the kidnappers who demanded a $500,000 ransom from his relatives for his release. The family indicated that they did not have such an amount, which led the kidnappers to lower their demand to $50,000. The relatives alerted the police who managed to locate and apprehend the kidnappers, two Ecuadorians and a Colombian. Weapons and ammunition were seized.

Belgium has warned its nationals planning to travel to Ecuador of the risk of kidnapping in certain regions, particularly on the border with Colombia.