Swiss cops make dramatic rescue after Ex-Zurich Mayor's dogs were kidnapped for $1 million ransom
Imagine you have raised your pets just like your family members, but suddenly someone takes them away. The feeling is hard to explain in words, right? However, unfortunately, many pet owners go through the heartbreaking pain of separating from their beloved pets, leaving a profound grief in their hearts. While most owners accept the harsh reality and with time, learn to live without their babies, some lucky ones get to reunite with their lovely pets. Rolf Wegmüller, former mayor of Zurich, is one such fortunate man who reunited with his two dogs, Qamar and Quentin after they were stolen from his residence.
As per a report by Notes From Poland, the two kidnappers even demanded one million Swiss francs (4.4 million zloty/USD11,31,676.00), but later reduced it to 250,000 francs (USD 2,82,813.25) of ransom. Following the dramatic abduction, the 59-year-old dog owner reached out to the police for help, which eventually led to the arrest of a Polish man and another Norwegian man. It all happened when the accused carried out a meticulously planned strategy where the Norwegian man pretended to be a girl and befriended Wegmüller. Although the man did think that this could be the beginning of something bizarre, he was attracted to his newfound friend. "I really thought this could become something serious. Despite the almost 30-year age difference, we got along well," the former mayor shared with a Swiss newspaper called 20 Minuten.
Wegmüller revealed that the kidnappers knew he loved his dogs to death and would immediately hand in the ransom money without any second thoughts. Further, he shared that when he asked the miscreants to send a picture of his dogs to ensure that they would keep his dogs safe, they instead threatened to send him a picture of Qamar and Quentin's severed heads. Soon after, Wegmüller received a picture of the kidnappers near the Polish border, which then became the main evidence for the police in locating one of the kidnappers in the northwestern city of Szczecin. Later, the police even arrested the Norwegian man from the Zurich airport before he could run away from the country.
Meanwhile, talking about the horrifying case, lawyer Matthias Fricker stated that under criminal law terms, it was not simple kidnapping; rather, it was theft and extortion. Notably, when Wegmüller's dogs were rescued from the kidnappers, they were immediately shifted to an animal care center before they were handed over to their rightful owner. "They were small, very friendly, but clearly frightened. They were very cuddly and keen on humans, but you could see they wanted to go back to their owner," Marlena Sobczak, an official from the organization, shared, as quoted by the outlet.
When Wegmüller reached Poland, he met his beloved dogs, leading to an emotional reunion. "I am the happiest guy in the world. My boys were kidnapped more than ten days ago, and I thought I would never see them again. The police in Szczecin did the best job in the world. I have completely lost my trust. I am sorry that K. (the kidnapper who pretended to be a girl) messed up his life at the age of 30, but I cannot forgive the fact that I was tortured in such a way. The two of them are my everything. I can’t live without them anymore," he shared.