A friendship on Facebook resulted in a 6-year prison sentence for a 49-year-old man, in relation to the 2014 abduction of a 27-year-old student.

During the trial it emerged that the 49-year-old logistics company owner was involved in the kidnapping, which had been carried by three others – a 48-year-old employee at the logistics company, a 53-year-old scrap yard owner and a 25-year-old Albanian man who is still wanted by the police.

The 48-year-old and 53-year-old were arrested shortly after the release of the 27-year-old student and initially did not reveal the involvement of anyone else, other than the 25-year-old suspect still at large. However, in a later statement the 48-year-old alleged that his boss had suggested the kidnapping, indicating their target and demanding a 15% cut of the random.

This was further confirmed by the 27-year-old, who reported that during her kidnapping the 48-year-old quipped that an additional, fourth person was involved. Upon closed examination it transpired that the 49-year-old man drawn information about the student’s habits and movements from her Facebook page.

Although the 49-year-old claimed that his victim had added him, none of the other suspects were friends with her on Facebook and therefore could not have had access to the personal information shared on her profile. During the trial the 27-year-old suggested that the 49-year-old may have been involved in the actual kidnapping.

Ultimately the felony appeal court handed the 48-year-old and 53-year-old 18-year sentences for their involvement in the kidnapping.