New information has emerged regarding the two arrested kidnappers involved in the abduction of the 27-year-old woman who is the niece of the owner of the Asteras Tripoli Football Club.

The woman was taken hostage on October 31 and released on November 9 after her family paid 82,500 euros in ransom. Two of the three kidnappers have been arrested so far: a 48-year-old Greek man from the suburb of Nea Ionia who is considered to be the “brains” of the operation and his accomplice, a 53-year-old man. The ransom money was recovered and the two men were charged with kidnapping, robbery, blackmail, conspiracy, possession of armament and minor bodily harm.

According to people who knew the 48-year-old man, he was considered a citizen above suspicion, a family man who never got into trouble. The man once owned a transport company that closed due to financial problems and he then went to work for another transport company whose owner was a close friend of the 27-year-old girl’s father. The idea for the abduction came during the father’s visits to the company where he would discuss his brother-in-law’s financial situation.

As for the 53-year-old kidnapper, he also had a clean public image. In fact, he has served in 2000 as a deputy mayor of Environment in the area of Menidi.

The young woman, who identified only one of the two abductors, the 48-year-old man, from his voice and body type was held hostage for 10 days in a house located near the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. However, she was kept in a windowless room and therefore she was unable to hear the planes landing and taking off.