Smuggler kidnaps, imprisons Sri Lankan woman in apartment outside Jerusalem

Police officers of the Jerusalem district arrested a Sri Lankan foreign national on suspicion of kidnapping and imprisoning a woman in an apartment in Abu Ghosh, the Israel Police announced on Friday.

Abu Ghosh is an Israeli-Arab town located outside of Jerusalem.

According to the police, detectives from the Central Unit arrested the 36-year-old illegal resident after he had kidnapped a Sri Lankan woman and imprisoned her in an apartment to extort a ransom from the victim’s mother.

The woman was reportedly rescued unharmed.

The victim's mother knew the kidnapper

In the statement, the police added they were informed about the situation by the victim’s mother, who herself resides in Israel with a valid residence permit. The mother had called the police the day prior and explained that her daughter had been kidnapped by a man whom she knew.

The police subsequently launched an investigation into the incident.

The night they had initially received a call, the police formed a specialized unit to locate both the victim and the suspect, the latter of whom was quickly identified.

Later that evening, the detectives arrived at the apartment where the woman was being held and arrested the suspect. The kidnapped woman was also found at the site.

According to the police, the suspect had entered Israel by illegally crossing the Jordanian border. The police investigation also suggested that the suspect had been engaged in the smuggling of other foreign nationals without valid residence permits into Israel.

The police noted that the man had kidnapped the victim under multiple pretexts and forced her to come with him to the apartment in Abu Ghosh.

At the apartment, the suspect reportedly took the victim’s phone, put her in a room, and restrained her therein.