French Duo Arrested in Spain for Kidnapping and Torturing Moroccan Man on Costa del Sol

This is the result of an investigation that lasted several months. The two men, aged 39 and 43, were arrested in Spain and France, the Spanish police said in a statement, adding that they have been charged with kidnapping, torture and possession of war weapons. These two Frenchmen are said to have kidnapped a Moroccan national for eleven days in April 2023 on a farm in Torrox, a village on the Costa del Sol - a favorite haunt of international drug traffickers and regularly hit by settling of scores in recent years - to demand a ransom of 1.4 million euros from his family. According to the police, "during his captivity, they cut off a piece of his ear," "inflicted numerous blows" on him and "even deprived him of food," only giving him water "on rare occasions," before releasing him in an isolated area of the region.

The victim’s family had received a video showing the Moroccan, with his feet and hands tied with cables and his face covered in bruises. This video led to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator of the kidnapping, in a seaside resort on the Costa del Sol. During a search of his home, the police found an AK47 assault rifle, three pistols and numerous rounds of ammunition. The instigator of this kidnapping will be arrested on April 30 in Paris. This second suspect was the subject of an arrest warrant and an extradition request from the Spanish justice system.

The investigation continues in order to determine the motive for the kidnapping and the degree of involvement of the suspects in the crime.