Diaz's parent's alleged kidnappers arrested as police swoop on four suspects

11 November 2023 , 19:22

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Diaz's parent's alleged kidnappers arrested as police swoop on four suspects

Four men allegedly involved in the kidnap of Luis Diaz’s dad have been arrested.

Colombian police said they snared them with the help of British authorities. The four suspects are members of a criminal group called Los Primos - English for The Cousins.

Local reports say they work for the left-wing ELN and are thought to have handed Luis Manuel Diaz over to the insurgent group after abducting the 58-year-old on October 28. The ELN claimed responsibility for the kidnapping late last week.

Liverpool star Luis Diaz’s father was released on Thursday after a 12-day ordeal. His wife Cilenis Marulanda was also taken hostage in the couple’s home town of Barrancas but freed hours later.

The arrested men have been named locally as Andrys Alcides Bolivar Bolívar; Marlon Rafael Brito Bolivar; Brayan Javier Morales Sanjuan; and Yerdinson Bolivar Bolivar.

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"In proceedings carried out in the early hours of today in Maicao, [La Guajira], two of these people known with the aliases of Marlon and El Negro were captured," an announcement from The Attorney General's office read. "These two arrests are in addition to that of Yerdinson Jose Bolívar Bolívar, alias Arenca, carried out on October 31 in Barrancas.

"This man was part of the criminal group 'Los Primates' and was charged at the time with the crime of conspiracy. On Tuesday, November 7, at the request of the Prosecutor's Office, he received a measure of deprivation of liberty in a prison."

Luis Manuel Diaz was rescued earlier this week (AFP via Getty Images)

General William Rene Salamanca Ramirez, a figurehead behind the arrest operation, also shared details. He posted: "In coordination with [the Attorney General's Office] we captured, in Maicao and Barrancas (La Guajira), four people accused of participating in the kidnapping of Mr. Luis Manuel Diaz, father of 'Lucho' Díaz, star of our Colombian Soccer Team.

"We launched 'Operation Freedom' on the same day of the kidnapping, which allowed us to identify the alleged intellectual and material authors, among them the criminal group 'Los Primos', which commits crimes through criminal outsourcing."

Diaz remained in England while the rescue of his dad was ongoing. He scored a late equaliser during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Luton at Kenilworth Road and unveiled a touching message to his father during the celebrations.

"The Colombian Football Federation thanks the National Government, the Military Forces and the National Police, as well as all the institutions and officials that made the release of Luís Manuel Díaz, father of our player Luís Diaz, possible," a statement from the Colombian Football Federation read after his rescue.

Gerard Couzens