Ten people have been arrested in Spain and the Netherlands after police dismantled an alleged kidnap-for-hire gang that tortured captives in storage units guarded by gunmen.
Three suspects were detained in Spain, including the alleged ringleader and his right-hand man, while seven were arrested in the Netherlands. Nine have been remanded in custody.
The joint investigation involving Policia Nacional, Dutch authorities and Europol uncovered a network allegedly carrying out abductions for other criminal organisations in Belgium and the Netherlands.
One victim escaped after jumping from a moving car following around a week and a half of captivity and severe abuse.
Police say he was kidnapped from a street in Antwerp on February 15 because he was allegedly responsible for the loss of 500kg of cocaine being transported by van from Spain to the Netherlands.
His captors demanded €600,000 for his release.
The investigation began after relatives reported receiving calls and videos through encrypted platforms. In those messages, the captive tried to reassure them that they would soon be reunited once he had resolved some business.
Investigators discovered he had been taken to an industrial building where the network operated a storage rental business.
The units allegedly doubled as cells for kidnapped victims, with guards carrying military-style firearms.
The man suffered serious torture and physical assaults. He also reported seeing another captive have three finger tips amputated, while a further victim appeared deeply unconscious.
He was later moved to a flat in the Netherlands, where the assaults allegedly continued.
When gang members began driving him back to Belgium, he feared for his life and jumped from the moving vehicle.
After falling down an embankment, he managed to reach a petrol station and ask for help.
Police describe a structured criminal business with properties in both countries and paid members assigned roles as torturers, guards and drivers.
The first arrests took place in the Netherlands on February 24, when seven suspects were detained, including the tenant of the flat and the owner of the storage units.
On September 24, officers arrested three further suspects in Spain: the alleged leader, his right-hand man and the suspected head of the drug trafficking organisation for which the victim had worked.
All 10 face allegations of kidnapping and membership of a criminal organisation.
Blood and DNA recovered from the properties have been linked to the escaped victim and other people whose identities are still being established.
The investigation remains open, with further arrests not ruled out.
