Hungarian policemen convicted of kidnapping

The Szabolcs County Court yesterday convicted two former Kisvárda policemen on charges of kidnapping and other crimes. Former police ensign István N. was sentenced to four years in prison and former sergeant major Gábor R. to three years. The court also convicted four civilians and acquitted another.

The case began last May when N. bought smuggled cigarettes for Ft 300,000 at the Nyíregyháza market in order to sell them on. When he took the shipment home, he found that he had been swindled, as the boxes contained only paper.

He then returned to the market and set up a meeting with the vendor, eventually luring him and two others to a dirt road, where N. and his associates threatened and assaulted him. They told his friends that they would kill him unless they received Ft 300,000, then forced their victim to call up his brother and tell him to bring Ft 300,000 to a designated place. The victim's relatives notified the police, who apprehended the kidnappers.

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