A gang of kidnappers abducted the son of one of the world’s richest men and demanded a ransom of £1.5milion, before losing their nerve and leaving him tied to a tree.
Markus Würth was seized by masked men from the home for the mentally disabled he lives in yesterday.
The 50-year-old, who has had learning difficulties, is the son of industrialist Reinhold Würth.
Known in Germany as the Schrauben-König, or “Screw-King” in reference to the family hardware business that made him rich, the older Mr Würth is estimated to be worth $7.4 billion (£4.6 billion).
The unknown kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of €2m (£1.5m) for his son.
EPACrime scene: Police cars are parked in front of the ‘Hofgut Sassen’ in Schlitz, Germany from where Markus Würth was seized
But police believe they panicked when they learned of the huge scale police operation and left him chained to a tree in a forest nearThey sent the police GPS coordinates of where to find Mr Würth, according to a report in Bild newspaper.
A news blackout, which police imposed when Mr Würth was seized was lifted when he was recovered unharmed.
A spokesman from the Würth Group confirmed the kidnapping had taken place and Mr Würth was safe but refused to say more.
A police spokesman said that no ransom had been paid.
He added: “A 50-year-old man was initially reported missing on Wednesday afternoon.”
EPATranquil: Würth had lived in the home for 30 years since he developed a mental disability as a child
“ Intensive search measures were initiated by the police. A little later, the wealthy parents of the missing person received a ransom note in the millions. No money was transferred, however.“The crime victim was safely found this morning in a wooded area near Würzburg.
“Investigations into the perpetrators continue.”
Mr Würth’s family reported him missing after he failed to turn up to lunch, according to reports.
Some 40 police officers and 50 local firefighters took part in an initial search with sniffer dogs.
After the ransom demand was received police sealed off the area and began a nationwide search. (…)
