A Spanish man was released from his six-day kidnap ordeal after a police raid in the Costa del Sol.
The 27-year-old was being held for ransom of €35,000. Family members informed the police that he had been kidnapped in the town of Mijas, near Marbella, and that his captors were threatening to kill him unless the ransom was paid.
Police raided a villa in the mountain town of Benahavis, also near Marbella on 18 August. There they found the victim in the living room being guarded by seven French nationals of Pakistani and Algerian origin, aged between 18 and 28.
"The victim had facial injuries when he was rescued and he told officers that he had been threatened constantly during his captivity and had been watched over permanently," the police statement said.
The seven captors in the villa were arrested. During the raid a French couple arrived at the villa but turned sharply away when they spotted police officers there.
"Following a chase, and after hitting several police cars, they were finally intercepted and detained," the statement said.
Police said another French national was detained a day after the raid on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping.
At the villa police uncovered 250 counterfeit €50 notes along with seven kilos of marijuana.
The arrested French nationals have been charged with kidnapping, drug trafficking and membership of an organised crime group.
