Colombian police rescued a Colombian-American who was kidnapped three weeks ago by notorious Medellin-based criminal gang, “La Oficina de Envigado.”
A Colombian businessman with U.S. citizenship, Francisco Fabian Arroyave Upegui, was kidnapped on October 4 in the city of Medellin “by several men wearing security force uniforms who had long and short-range weapons,” reported Spanish news agency ABC. It was later confirmed that the kidnappers belonged to the Oficina.
Arroyave’s family had received several calls from the Oficina kidnappers demanding the ransom of three million dollars to be paid in cash for his release.
However, agents from Colombian anti-extortion and kidnapping agency, Gaula, liberated Arroyave “safe and sound,” and even detained one of the kidnappers before the criminals received any money or were able to hurt Arroyave, reported the police.
Intelligence were able to save Arroyave by confirming the movements of the kidnappers and businessman in a bullet-proof car during certain times of day.
The businessman was finally rescued when authorities followed the car to his home, where he was being transported “in order to collect documents to perform the assets transfer and ultimately be assassinated,” according to Arroyave.
Arroyave Upegui is a Colombian with U.S. residency and had been living there for the past 11 years as a businessman.
Police claimed that the Gaula agency has rescued 58 people and captured 521 criminals engaged in kidnappings this year.
Currently Colombia has 76 kidnapped persons, the result of a conglomeration of rebel guerrilla groups, delinquents and criminal bands kidnapping citizens for their illegal benefit.
