DistantNews
Support us
Five charged with extortion, kidnapping, and assault over $21 million demand
🇩🇰 Denmark /Crime & Justice

Five charged with extortion, kidnapping, and assault over $21 million demand

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency In the courts
  • Five men are charged with kidnapping, extortion, and aggravated assault after allegedly holding a man for over seven hours.
  • The accused are accused of threatening to cut off the victim's finger with pruning shears if he did not transfer $21 million.
  • The trial is scheduled to begin in April next year, with all defendants pleading not guilty.

A man in his 50s was forcibly taken from outside his home in Hvidovre one January morning, beginning a terrifying ordeal of over seven hours of unlawful detention, extortion, and severe violence. Five men, aged between 28 and 42, now face charges for their alleged roles in the incident, according to court documents obtained by Ritzau.

The prosecution seeks harsher sentences for three of the accused, citing their prior convictions. Court filings detail how the younger men allegedly handled the victim physically, while a 36-year-old man purportedly directed them by phone, dictating their actions. The victim was reportedly driven to Slagslunde Forest, where the four men allegedly threatened to sever his finger with pruning shears unless he transferred 21 million kroner.

According to the indictment, the 36-year-old suspect allegedly instructed his accomplices over the phone, stating, "just cut off the man's finger, kill him and bury him." The victim was allegedly shown a grave in the forest floor, with threats of burial if the ransom was not paid. The accused also reportedly contacted a family member of the victim, demanding a ransom payment.

just cut off the man's finger, kill him and bury him

— 36-year-old suspect (alleged)Alleged instructions given by phone to accomplices during the kidnapping and extortion.

After being driven back to Hvidovre and forced into another vehicle, the victim was taken to a parking lot in Køge, where they met a fourth defendant. The three alleged perpetrators then continued driving with the victim towards Nyborg. During the ordeal, the victim reportedly lost consciousness multiple times and suffered a broken tooth. He was also stripped and bound with zip ties, according to the prosecution.

Police apprehended three of the suspects in Nyborg, seizing a hammer and a folding knife. The remaining defendants were arrested and charged the same day. The trial is set to commence on April 5 next year at the Glostrup Court, with proceedings expected to last ten days. All defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Your uncle is here. He is in our custody until those 'para', they are landed, okay

— Accused in the forest (alleged)Alleged statement made over the phone to a family member of the victim during the extortion attempt.
About this summary

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog