BRUSSELS — A Turkish businessman in Brussels was recently kidnapped and held hostage for a week in the Ardennes and four suspects have been arrested,  federal police revealed on Wednesday.

Police have refused to reveal the kidnapped man’s identity, but newspaper ‘De Morgen’ said reliable sources had indicated he was Guray Serimozu.

Together with his brother Eray, Serimozu leads the travel bureau Mediterra. He was kidnapped because he reportedly had debts to a foreigner with diplomatic status.

Serimozu was kidnapped two weeks ago in his Oudergem home, a municipality of Brussels, by a gang of masked and armed men. He was held for a week in a holiday home in Libin.

The kidnapping was a case of blackmail. The Turkish man was told to offer a guarantee that his debts would be paid. It is not yet known if the ransom was paid, but it is probable given the fact he was released, De Morgen speculated.

It remains uncertain who the diplomat is and whether he or she gave the order to kidnap the victim.

Federal police arrested a 4th suspect on Wednesday. Two of the arrested suspects were men who allegedly visited the Mediterra office in Kraainem shortly prior to the kidnapping in order to blackmail the Turkish man.

Several of the suspects have since confessed to the crime, but more arrests have not been ruled out.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news