A 34-year-old Brazilian man living in Alicante has been given a total of six years and fifteen days in prison for kidnapping an 82-year-old businessman in Portugal. According to a ruling from the Third Section of the Barcelona Court, the businessman was held at gunpoint and driven to the province of Barcelona. There, he was released in the town of Collbató after just under 20 hours and left tied to a tree after being robbed of about 90,000 euros.
The court’s decision, which came out at the end of November 2016 after a plea deal between the defence, the prosecution, and the private prosecution, also includes two sentences totalling 11 years and three months in prison for two other defendants for kidnapping the Portuguese businessman. Another person who is still unknown was also involved in the crime.
The convicted Alicante resident, who was defended by lawyer Aitor Esteban Gallastegui, was first given a sentence of more than 30 years in jail for being an accomplice to the crimes of unlawful detention, being part of a criminal organisation, fraud and forgery, robbery with violence, and assault. Because of a plea deal, the sentences have been cut down to six years and fifteen days in prison and penalties of €1,200 and €600.
The three offenders must also pay the victim €90,562, which is the sum they stole, largely through bank transfers, although they also made ATM withdrawals and purchases. They also had to pay €1,300 for the injuries they got while being kidnapped.
Three provinces made arrests
In late 2023, nine persons were arrested in the provinces of Alicante (3), Málaga (5), and Murcia for this kidnapping. A mobile phone purchase helped police find the culprit in Alicante. The Violent Crime Group of Alicante were getting ready to arrest him at his house when they found out he was already in jail for robbing a brothel in Benidorm. So, the arrest happened at the prison.
Along with the three people who were tried in Barcelona, at least three other people who were involved are being looked into in Portugal as people who got the victim’s money and helped hide it.
The facts shown in the judgement show that the three defendants were members of a Brazilian criminal cell that travelled from the Levante region of Spain to Portugal to kidnap people, steal from them, and then leave them behind when they got the wealth.
In this case, the convicted Alicante resident rented a car using a fake name, and the three offenders drove that car to Portugal to carry out the kidnapping.
On August 24th, 2023, between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, the kidnapping took place. Three people attacked the 82-year-old victim in Albufeira as he was about to go into his house. They pushed him at gunpoint into the rear of his car. The kidnappers then took the victim back to Spain, where they beat him and threatened to kill him at gunpoint to get him to do what they wanted. They got his credit cards, internet banking information, and a high-end cell phone.
The kidnappers were able to make numerous transfers of 84,093 euros, take 960 euros out of ATMs in Cambrils and Barcelona, and buy electrical and phone equipment for 5,509 euros.
The kidnapping ended at 5:00 a.m. on August 25th in a wooded region of the Barcelona municipality of Collbató, where the victim was tied to a tree. He was able to get free after half an hour and called for aid. The kidnappers drove away in the car rented by the Alicante resident, leaving the businessman’s car in the airport parking lot.
Author: Derek Appleton
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