7 caught in Athens kidnapping operation
Police arrested seven men in Athens on Sunday who are accused of kidnapping a 27-year-old Bulgarian national and demanding 30,000 euros for his safe return. The seven men, all Gypsies, were traced by police after they contacted the victims’ relatives with their demands. The relatives notified police who then started a search operation which uncovered a home at an undisclosed location in Athens where the men had hidden the victim. The Bulgarian man, whose ordeal lasted about 24 hours, said that he was forced to call his family and ask for the ransom money after being beaten by the kidnappers. The Gypsies, all between the ages of 23 and 52, were taken to a prosecutor on Sunday and charged with operating a gang, kidnapping and causing physical harm.
