Five individuals have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to two years for the kidnapping and extortion of an 18-year-old man in Randers. The sentences were handed down by the Randers Court on Wednesday.

The case involved an incident last June where the 18-year-old was detained for approximately 21 hours in an apartment. During this period, he was held in a chair and threatened with what appeared to be a real pistol, but was actually a hardball gun. A knife was also held to his throat.

The convicted individuals, consisting of one woman and five men aged between 20 and 49, were also found guilty of extorting the victim’s parents. The parents received multiple calls demanding DKK 250,000, with threats of violence and continued detention against their son if the money was not paid.

According to prosecutor Jakob Christensen from the East Jutland Police Prosecution Service, the motive behind the crime was the convicted individuals’ belief that the 18-year-old owed them money related to a failed hash transport. During the calls to the parents, one of the convicted allegedly claimed the 18-year-old was unharmed but emphasized the urgency of the payment.

In addition to the kidnapping and extortion, the five individuals were also convicted of physically assaulting the 18-year-old, inflicting blows and kicks to his body and head. Of the five, three accepted their sentences, while the remaining two, a 24-year-old man sentenced to one year and nine months and 25-year-old Carlos Juan Diaz sentenced to two years, are considering appealing the verdict.