Kidnapped businessman on Crete freed in police raid
A police operation on Crete resulted in the rescue of businessman Michalis Lembidakis, who was abducted in March of this year. At 7:30 Monday morning, police conducted a raid on a car parts junkyard in Rethymno where they found an emaciated Lembidakis tied to a mattress on the first floor of the building.
Police arrested a man who was found with him who appeared to be tasked with making sure Lembidakis would not escape. Another person found on the premises was also arrested. Five more people, both on Crete and off the island, have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
Police told Kathimerini they were acting on information they’d obtained indicating Lembidakis was recently transferred to the junkyard by his captors. They formed a plan on Sunday to free him. The operation was under the guise of a drug raid so as to not to risk anyone involved in the abduction being tipped off out about imminent police action.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras as well as main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis both publicly expressed praise for the police officers involved in successfully carrying out the operation.
