The British honorary consul in the coastal city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Colin Armstrong, was kidnapped in the Los Rios region in the southwest of the country, as reported by the police last Saturday.
Armstrong, who is also the owner of an agricultural company, was abducted early in the morning from his farm in the Baba area, according to Sky News.
The Sun newspaper reported that Ecuadorian police are investigating the kidnapping incident, during which Armstrong and his wife were taken to an unknown location in the consul’s own car, which was later found.
According to the newspaper, Armstrong’s residence, from where he was kidnapped, was looted and vandalized by the criminals who took him to an undisclosed location.
In recent years, Ecuador has become an operational hub for both foreign and local drug cartels, with an increase in murders, kidnappings, and extortion crimes.
Gangs employing violence control prisons and neighborhoods in many cities and ports.
Since 2018, the national murder rate has quadrupled, jumping from six to 26 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.
