Gang arrested for kidnapping Moroccan migrants and demanding ransom

Nine individuals were arrested this week in Greece for holding seven Moroccan migrants hostage in a house in Thessaloniki, a port city on the Thermaic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. The suspects, eight Greeks and a Pakistani, resorted to physical violence and filmed brutal scenes, demanding a ransom of 2,000 euros per person, local daily Ekathimerini reported on Wednesday.

According to the same source, the victims were detained for two days, during which the gang members sent the filmed videos to the families, from whom the sums were requested. The kidnapped nationals are said to have arrived in Greece via the Evros River from Turkey, with the help of smugglers. They were allegedly picked up by members, who took them to Thessaloniki, 300 kilometers west of the Greek-Turkish border.

The arrest came after the family of one of the victims contacted authorities. Currently in custody, the gang members are accused of kidnapping, extortion and organized crime.