Istanbul police rescue Egyptian, Syrian students kidnapped for ransom
Security forces in Istanbul have rescued one Egyptian and one Syrian university student who had been abducted by a gang for ransom.
Two members of the gang that abducted them, demanding ransoms worth $30,000 from each family of the students, were caught by police on Oct. 11. The operation to apprehend the remaining members of the group is continuing, according to the police.
Egyptian student Abdelrahman Aly, 23, and Syrian student Mahmud al-Ahmed, 20, lived with two other students in a basement apartment in the Şirinevler neighborhood of Istanbul’s Bahçelievler district. They were abducted by a group of armed gang members on Oct. 9.
The suspects reportedly phoned Muhammed al-Ahmed, the father of the Syrian student who currently lives in Dubai, saying they would release the victims if they received $30,000.
After the phone call, al-Ahmed’s uncle contacted Turkish police for help.
Cooperating with the police, the uncle arranged to meet the kidnappers at a mall in Bahçelievler on Oct. 11.
Police then detained two Syrian female suspects during the meeting.
