A 33-year-old man has been named as a defendant for faking his own kidnapping, demanding ransom from his family to pay off debts related to drug consumption.
The incident occurred on August 24, as disclosed by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) on Saturday, which announced it had been investigating the case since then.
According to the information provided by the family, the man had been deprived of liberty “through the use of violence, and transported from Vieira de Leiria to the region of Figueira da Foz, with the kidnappers demanding tens of thousands of euros in exchange for his safe release.”
The investigation led by the Central Directorate of PJ, in close collaboration with the Public Security Police, managed to locate the victim in the city of Leiria, “free and without signs of violence, understanding that no crime had actually occurred.”
The PJ clarified in a statement that due to “the simulated crime in the context of drug-related debts, requesting family members for ransom payment,” the man has been named a defendant.
The inquiry has been concluded and forwarded to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the DIAP of Leiria.
