A wealthy British businessman living in Ecuador who was abducted by a group of 15 men dressed as police on his farm during an early morning break-in was released on Wednesday, ending a five-day nightmare.
Colin Armstrong, 78, was at his home with his partner, Katherine Paola Santos, on December 16 when the man forced his way into the home and kidnapped the couple, according to Sky News citing local reports.
Armstrong, president of Ecuadorian agricultural firm Agripac, and Paola Santos were held hostage in the billionaire’s black BMW.
Ecuadorian police tracked the car that drove south of the property to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second-largest city.
Armstrong appears to have been freed and found on a road in the coastal province of Manabí — 118 miles from where police lost track of his BMW, Ecuador police chief Cesar Augusto Zapata Correa announced on X wednesday morning
Reports indicate Armstrong’s kidnapper was from the Los Tiguerones gang, but officials have yet to confirm his affiliation.
British billionaire Colin Armstrong was released earlier this week after 15 men dressed as police broke into his home in Ecuador and kidnapped him and his partner. Tupgill Park Estate Seven of the nine people arrested in connection with the kidnapping were lined up by the police for photographs. Policía Nacional del Ecuador/Facebook
Police have arrested nine individuals in connection with Armstrong’s kidnapping during an operation dubbed “Libertad 122,” in which 30 homes were searched.
During the raid, documented on a body camera, police seized five hand grenades, six long and short guns, 1,500 rounds of ammunition, 30 detonators, nine phones, and two vehicles used in the kidnapping along with “2 kilos of material that is being analyzed,” Zapata Correa said at a news conference.
Photographs released by police captured items lined up on the ground, including four pistols, a rifle, a shotgun, a box of ammunition, a police jacket, a radio and packaged materials.
Footage after the abduction at a property in Baba, Ecuador, showed dried blood on a bed and a broken door frame, according to SkyNews.
Police have arrested nine individuals in connection with Armstrong’s kidnapping during an operation dubbed “Libertad 122,” in which 30 homes were searched. Policía Nacional del Ecuador/Facebook Photographs released by police captured items lined up on the ground, including four pistols, a rifle, a shotgun, a box of ammunition, a police jacket, a radio and packaged materials. Policía Nacional del Ecuador/Facebook A police jacket, two guns and ammunition are placed on a bed after the raid, part of the “Libertad 122” operation. Policía Nacional del Ecuador/Facebook
Paola Santos, a Colombian national, was found 24 hours after her abduction when she showed up at Armstrong’s adult son’s home in a taxi wearing a bomb vest, according to the US Sun.
The outlet added that Paola Santos was sent to the house to demand a ransom for the cartel, but the bomb squad was called in and managed to remove the jacket.
Police questioned Paola Santos about her abduction and Armstrong after she was released.
Armstrong made his fortune through the farming firm he founded in 1972, which he now runs with the help of his son, along with owning the 500-acre Tupgill Park Farm in Yorkshire, England.
Ecuadorian police released a photo of Armstrong after he was released by his captors earlier this week. Ecuadorian Police/X/@CmdtPoliciaEc A package of an unknown substance was seized during the raid and is being analyzed by the police. Policía Nacional del Ecuador/Facebook Box A total of about 1,500 rounds of ammunition were also seized in one of the raids. Policía Nacional del Ecuador/Facebook
The estate is home to Forbidden Corner, a park tourist attraction created by Armstrong and dubbed “The Strangest Place in the World.”
Armstrong was also appointed UK honorary consul in Ecuador in 2016 and was awarded the OBE and Companions of the Order of St. Michael and St. George for services to the British monarchy in 2011.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
