MADRID — Police have arrested seven alleged members of a kidnapping gang, among them three relatives of a suspect in the Madrid bombings.Among the detainees are two brothers and a cousin of Jamal Ahmidan, one of seven suspects in the 11 March train bombings who blew themselves up as police prepared to storm their apartment near Madrid. The kidnapping ring was made up of at least seven people - four Moroccans, one Dutchman, a Palestinian and a Spaniard. The police operation led to the release of a Moroccan man kidnapped four days ago in a downtown Madrid residence. Family members of the victim had received telephone calls following the kidnapping demanding payment of a ransom and had reported the crime to police.
On Saturday, three members of the ring were arrested when they went to meet with relatives of the victim concerning the ransom. They were Spaniard Jose Carlos S.D., Dutchman Adil A. and Moroccan Mustafa Ahmidan. Adil A., a cousin of Ahmidan's who was in Spain illegally, has a record of violent robberies, while Mustafa Ahmidan - Jamal Ahmidan's brother - had been arrested previously for collaborating with a terrorist group and for domestic violence. Mustafa Ahmidan also was questioned last year in connection with the 11 March rail bombings, which killed nearly 200 people. He was subsequently released. Other suspects in the Madrid bombings have also mentioned Mustafa Ahmidan's name in their statements to investigators.
Also on Saturday, officers entered the home where the kidnap victim was being held, freed him and arrested the two gang members holding him captive, a Moroccan and a Palestinian. During a search of the premises, police found shackles and a fake pistol. The operation was completed on Monday with the arrest of two other members of the ring, including another of Jamal Ahmidan's brothers.