Tom Ewart Smith
SPANISH police have arrested three British men in a dramatic operation following an alleged kidnapping plot involving a UK-based cryptocurrency broker on the Costa del Sol.
Authorities released footage on Sunday showing the moment officers intercepted an Audi in which the suspects attempted to flee.
The clip shows how one officer appears to be sitting on the heads of two of the suspects, with his knee firmly on the back of one of them.
Agents also found more than £8,000, two guns, three knives, and 25g of pink cocaine in the apartment where they were supposedly living.
The arrests came after the victim managed to escape, leading to a high-stakes takedown where police subdued the men at gunpoint.
The ordeal began after a chance meeting in Marbella led the 34-year-old trader to accept an invitation to an apartment in Estepona.
Police believe that once the trio realised the trader was a big earner and had access to lots of cryptocurrency, they elaborated a criminal plan.
Once inside, the men allegedly took him hostage, demanding £25,000 for his release.
The kidnappers tied their victim up and threatened to kill him if he did not comply with their wish.
While pretending that he needed an access code from a customer for his crypto wallet, he made a call to a friend in London.
Speaking in Hindi, he discreetly explained that he was being held against his will.
His friend informed the victim’s mother, who then alerted the police.
Armed officers eventually identified the Estepona residence and were preparing for a raid when the victim managed to escape.
While one of his captors was distracted on his phone, the trader jumped from a balcony more than 30 feet high, breaking his ankles upon landing.
Heavily armed officers then moved in on the kidnappers, who attempted to flee in an Audi.
They were swiftly intercepted and arrested at gunpoint.
Spanish authorities have now gone public with details of the seven-hour operation, codenamed ‘Operation Espino,’ which led to the successful resolution of the case.
A spokesperson for the National Police in Malaga stated: “Three men have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, wounding, membership in a criminal organization, unlawful weapons possession, and drug trafficking. They are now in prison following a court appearance.”
This latest incident adds to growing concerns over organized crime on the Costa del Sol.
