This is the terrifying moment a group of masked men dressed as police were filmed abducting a man from his car on the AP-7 motorway.
The incident unfolded near Montornes del Valles, Barcelona, at around 7.30pm on Saturday, bringing traffic to an abrupt halt.
Footage recorded by a passenger in another car shows the victim’s vehicle being boxed in between two cars before five men emerge.
Donning balaclavas and fake police high-vis jackets, they then surrounded the vehicle.
After a struggle, four of them dragged a heavily built man from the driver’s seat.
The victim emerged with his clothes torn and blood on his face before being bundled away.
The witness who filmed the incident and called emergency number 112 told operators that the attackers were carrying handguns.
Victim found alive
Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra launched an investigation, led by officers from its Criminal Investigation Division (DIC).
Police later located the kidnapped man elsewhere in Catalonia, reports regional newspaper La Vanguardia.
He was found alive and without serious injuries, although authorities have not disclosed exactly where he was discovered.
Investigators have also not revealed whether the victim was released by his captors or managed to escape.
Suspected criminal gang dispute
Sources close to the investigation cited by Spanish news agency EFE said investigators are working on the possibility that the incident was connected to a dispute between criminal groups.
The entire roadside abduction unfolded in less than a minute.
The investigation continues.
