Three arrested in La Seu d'Urgell after bound man found in car boot

Three people have been arrested in La Seu d'Urgell after Mossos d'Esquadra officers found a man bound hand and foot in the boot of a vehicle, Catalan police said.

Officers intercepted the vehicle at around 1am after it avoided a traffic checkpoint on the N-260, according to the Diari d'Andorra. A search operation was launched with the local police, and the vehicle was subsequently stopped on Avinguda de Guillem Graell.

During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered the immobilised man in the boot and took him to a health centre for treatment. He had been tied at the wrists and ankles and had suffered a blow to the head.

The three detainees face charges of unlawful detention. The Mossos' Criminal Investigation Division has taken charge of the case and the investigation remains open.

According to published reports, one line of inquiry is that the incident was a contract kidnapping linked to the drugs trade, and that the three suspects travelled from Barcelona. That possibility has not been confirmed.