FOUR masked men kidnapped a driver from the streets of a Costa Brava seaside town and forced him into the boot of a 4×4 before fleeing.
It is just the latest in a disturbing trend of broad-daylight kidnappings to take place in Barcelona province in recent weeks.
The incident ocurred in Calella, a coastal tourist town about 50km northeast of Barcelona, at 10.30pm on Sunday.
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Witnesses reported seeing the gang intercept the victim on Carrer Puig de Popa on the outskirts of the town, according to Catalan outlet ElCaso.cat.
The attackers shoved the man into the boot of a Land Rover against his will before making their escape.
They left the victim’s own vehicle abandoned with the doors wide open in the middle of the road, and even didn’t touch the €200 sitting inside.
The victim has still not been found.
It follows three similar ‘express kidnappings’ recorded in the days just before the Calella incident, and nine recorded in Catalunya so far this year.
The most recent abductions took place in Barcelona, the nearby coastal town of Gava, and on the AP-7 motorway.
Police sources confirmed all incidents of this type are linked to criminal groups using the violent tactic to settle debts, settle scores, or steal drugs.
The Mossos d’Esquadra’s Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) has taken over the case and is analysing the victim’s abandoned car.
The force officially classifies the crimes as ‘illegal detentions’ rather than kidnappings, as the gangs do not demand a ransom for the victims’ release.
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