Dognappers steal two Bolonkas and demand £880,000 ransom from owner
Swiss police have rescued two dogs kidnapped for a ransom of more than £880,000.
The Bolonka dogs were taken from the home of a 59-year-old man in Schlieren near Zurich, while he was away, Zurich authorities said. When the owner returned home, he found a ransom note demanding £880,000 (1 million Swiss francs) for their return.
The distressed owner then contacted Zurich police, triggering an investigation and a week-long search.
A 30-year-old Norwegian suspect, believed to be involved in the kidnapping, was arrested at Zurich airport. A 38-year-old suspect was also detained with the help of Polish police.
The dogs were safely returned to their owners on Friday. The average price of Bolonkas, a toy breed originating in Russia, is between £1,200 and £2,300.
The 30-year-old remains in custody and Polish authorities are carrying out further investigations into the 38-year-old.
Neither suspect has been named and the investigation is ongoing.
It comes after a Norfolk couple was recently reunited with their beloved Labrador, stolen nearly 10 years ago.
Daisy was stolen from Rita and Philip Potter's garden in November 2017. A tireless search followed, which included social media campaigns and a petition urging government action against pet theft, and finally reached its joyous conclusion thanks to the RSPCA.
Daisy, now 13, was discovered over 200 miles away in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, by an RSPCA inspector during routine investigations.
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Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Daughter reveals chilling phone call made hours after mum vanished 15 years ago – as cops find body buried in garden
A body was found and a woman has been charged with murder NEW EVIDENCE? Daughter reveals chilling phone call made hours after mum vanished 15 years ago – as cops find body buried in garden Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MYSTERY phone call could prove vital in cracking the cold case of a mum who vanished 15 years ago, The Sun can reveal. Izabela Helena Zabłocka went missing in August 2010, aged 30, after moving to Derbyshire from Poland the previous year. 9 Missing mum Izabela Zabłocka and her daughter Kasia Credit: Kasia Zabłocka 9 Izabela left Poland in 2009 to work in Derby Credit: PA 9 Police launched a murder investigation and said they found human remains Credit: Splash 9 But an investigation wasn't opened by British cops until last month, thanks to a baffling miscommunication gaffe. Once the probe finally kicked into gear, officers made five arrests before finding remains in a back garden and charging a woman with murder on Friday - all within a matter of a couple of weeks. Anna Podedworna, 39, also faces charges of preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice. Now, Izabela's daughter, Kasia, who was just nine when she vanished, has told The Sun about an odd phone conversation she had in the hours after her mum was first reported missing. Kasia and her grandmother would speak to Izabela every day over the phone after her move to Britain - but when she suddenly stopped, they became frantic with worry. The young girl had been continuously trying to contact her mum when an unknown woman answered and told her she didn't know Izabela and hung up. Kasia told us: "It was a conversation of a few seconds, I was only a child. "The woman, as far as I remember, told me that she doesn't know my mother, doesn't know who Izabela is, and hung up." Soon after that, Kasia recalls, the phone was disconnected. Her family - who don't speak English - relayed all of this to Polish cops at the time but the trail eventually ran cold, without any answers about what had happened. Derbyshire Constabulary say the first they heard of Izabela was last month when Kasia, now 25, after years of appeals for help, got in touch on a whim. Body found in search for missing woman who vanished 15 years ago – as suspect, 39, arrested over 'murder' She was as surprised as anyone that British cops hadn't been involved in the case at all - assuming Polish forces must have been liaising with them all these years. And Izabela's case might not be the only one to slip through the cracks. Speaking to The Sun, former top Scotland Yard cop Peter Bleksley said: 'Given all the circumstances, my question is how many more? How many other cases are like this in the UK?' He said it's so easy for someone to move to the UK and then after months or even years disappear but because they're not part of a stable support network, are never reported to police. He added: 'How many more have entered communities, but are murdered and done away with but no one is going to miss them?' Of course, Izabela's family, particularly daughter Kasia, never did give up looking - but were let down by authorities again and again. Speaking to The Sun after remains were found in the garden of a home in Princes Street - a road where Izabela had lived - last week, Kasia had said: 'I definitely want to know the truth as soon as possible.' Her mum, who had called back home every day prior to vanishing on August 29 2010, had communicated to the family she planned to return home imminently. Have YOU got a story or an amazing picture or video? Email exclusive@ and you could even get PAID It's understood Kasia's grandmother had even sent her daughter money to buy a plane ticket but she never arrived and her phone was suddenly deactivated after the strange call. When they reported her missing to Polish cops, it seems they simply assumed she'd made it back to her homeland. They told Izabela's family they checked hospitals and prisons, and over the years did collect DNA samples, including hair from her wedding veil. However, Kasia said the case was then archived in the mid-2010s, and her loved ones feared they would never learn what happened. Mr Bleksley said: 'In terms of the Polish police, they paid it absolute lip service. Not in a hospital, not in a jail, don't really care.' In contrast, he said the investigation by Derbyshire Constabulary 'moved at break neck speed', which is a credit to those involved. 'From it getting reported, even having heard her name for the first time, it's only days until someone has been arrested, re-arrested, and now in custody,' he continued. 'In stark contrast to the Polish police, Derbyshire have taken it very seriously, they must have made a considerable amount of enquiries to rapidly make arrests and nail the correct address, start excavating and unfortunately find remains.' He said he hoped 'despite the passage of time' the remains 'provide a treasure trove of forensic evidence'. 9 Ex Met detective Peter Bleksley Credit: Peter Bleksley 9 Police and forensics searching a property on Princes Street on June 3 Credit: SWNS 9 Kasia spoke to a mystery woman over the phone the day after her mum vanished Credit: Getty Mr Bleksley went on to say: 'It smacks to me that somebody was desperate to tell the police what they knew, and they had been waiting for that knock on the door all that time.' He said the excavation 'will be absolutely painstaking' because 'any tiny microscopic' piece of forensic evidence 'will be crucial to nailing the case'. 'This is almost like a textbook test of modern forensic science,' he added. Asked if he believes Izabela - if the remains prove to be hers - was killed by someone she knew, Mr Bleksley said: 'That is very difficult to speculate. The fact that arrests were made so swiftly, indicates to me that these were people that were known to each other - that I will say… 'I'm not being intentionally flippant here but they are going to solve this. 'Somebody, I feel, is desperate to tell people what they saw. That's why it's galloped forward so quickly. Someone's almost gone 'oh I thought you'd never come - right okay, this is what I saw, this is who did it.'' Mr Bleksley added: 'As much as we criticise our police, and as much as we at times fall short and fail us all, by and large, when it comes to the big, serious, major investigations, they do very well.' He pointed to examples of Brits who have lost loved ones abroad and they've remained unexplained, including Madeleine McCann. 'We sometimes have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to our police force investigating serious crime,' he said. Mr Bleksley also added that had Madeleine - who vanished while on holiday in Portugal in 2007, aged three - gone missing 'under similar circumstances' in the UK, 'that case would have been solved a very long time ago'. During his career he's worked with police forces across the world, including the US, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, sometimes undercover. He championed British forces, in comparison, for their work ethics and systems of investigation. Asked if whilst working in other countries he recognised blindsides in local cops' working, he said: 'I did, which is why I was called in so often to help foreign law enforcement with their cases.' The existence of the likes of Europol, Interpol and the National Crime Agency designed to help police communicate internationally, it may appear archaic that a case like Izabela's can fall through the cracks. 'They can only be effective if the liaison through different countries is good,' said Mr Bleksley. 'In this case, it was appalling to the extent of being non-existent. 'If the Polish police had done their job properly, this case would've been solved years ago.' Asked if it is likely there will be some kind of watchdog probe into what went wrong in Poland, Mr Bleksley said: 'That I don't know, that would be a matter for the family, I'm sure for any forces in the UK, litigation would be pursued, of course, not to mention the complaints procedure. 'I don't know what the situation is in Poland with regards to that. He added: 'There's plenty more embarrassment for the Polish police force coming down the line if this case runs its course and ends up in a trial.' Asked if there's any chance Derbyshire Police were simply mistaken and, despite their assertions, ignored communications with Poland over the years about the case, Mr Bleksley said it's unlikely. 'Everything gets logged these days. Everything goes into the computer system and lives there forever. 'Derbyshire Police wouldn't have been as bullish as they have been by saying we had no trace of this if actually they didn't have any trace.' 'I did everything to publicise my mum's disappearance' Kasia told The Sun last week, prior to the remains discovery: "When Mum went missing, I was 9 years old, I was a child. "It was only when I became an adult that I took up the search for Mum again. "I did everything to publicise my mother's disappearance; it took me a lot of time, but I hope I will find out the truth." She went on to say: "My family reported the case to the Polish police 15 years ago, but now we are finding out that the British police did not receive the report during those 15 years, and they have only just started an investigation. "The Polish police only checked prisons and hospitals and didn't find anything significant, and after a few years, the disappearance case went to the archive." She continued: "I started looking for her on my own as soon as I became an adult. "I started publicising my mother's disappearance in Poland, in the media and on YouTube. I did everything I could, and Polish charities helped me with this. "I started making posters about my mother's disappearance. I wrote to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, and they wrote back that they would check the prisons in England and Wales, but I did not receive any information on whether this was actually checked." The 25-year-old had hoped her mum had simply decided to start a new life, and she would suddenly appear with a new identity. However, those hopes were quashed when murder arrests were made, with Kasia admitting: "I'm very upset by the news I've received, and I'm so sorry that I received this message and not another one. "I've been looking for her for 15 years, and I hope I finally find out the truth." Izabela's last movements 2009 Izabela moves to the UK from Poland 2010 The factory worker is living in Princes Street, Normanton August 28, 2010 She contacts her family for the last time before she vanishes May 2025 Derbyshire Police launch a fresh appeal for information and launch a murder investigation May 28 Two women, aged 39 and 43, as well as a 41-year-old man, are arrested and released on bail June 2 Human remains are found in a garden of a house on the street where Izabela lived June 3 A 39-year-old woman, who was previously arrested on suspicion of murder, is rearrested June 6 Anna Podedworna, 39, has now been charged with murder, preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice Two other women aged 39 and 43, and two men aged 41 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of murder and all remain on police bail pending further inquiries Detective Inspector Kane Martin, who is leading the investigation, said after the body was found: 'Izabela's family are at the forefront of our minds following this discovery and, whilst formal identification has not yet taken place, it is our belief that these remains do belong to Izabela." Mr Martin went on to say: 'We have spoken with Izabela's family in Poland, and they are aware. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time. 'Identification of the remains is likely to be a lengthy process, but we will issue updates when we are able. 'I know that reports of these findings will send shockwaves through the local community, and I understand the concern of residents. 'Officers will remain in Princes Street in the coming days, and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak with them." DI Martin explained that a "dedicated team of detectives" would continue their investigation to "piece together information" about the days leading up to Izabela's death. Izabela worked at the former Cranberry Foods chicken and turkey factory in Scropton, around 10 miles west of Derby. Crimestoppers is offering up to £20,000 for exclusive information relating to the investigation that leads to a conviction, with the reward valid for three months until August 27. Anyone with information can contact the charity via its website, or by calling 0800 555 111. Do you know more? Email 9 Cops began searching Princes Street in Derby after making three arrests Credit: Google
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Gynaecologist who raped dozens of patients & secretly filmed examinations for almost 20 years is jailed in Norway
A harrowing total of 94 women testified during the trial DOCTOR JAILED Gynaecologist who raped dozens of patients & secretly filmed examinations for almost 20 years is jailed in Norway Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DOCTOR who raped dozens of patients and secretly filmed examinations for almost two decades has been jailed in Norway. A court on Friday sentenced Arne Bye, 55, to 21 years in prison in a case that has shocked the Scandinavian country. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A court on Friday sentenced Arne Bye, 55, to 21 years in prison 3 Grim video footage was recovered in the police probe 3 Cameras had been set up in his examination room Former GP Bye was found guilty of committing 70 counts of rape and sexual assault during gynecological examinations of his patients between 2004 and 2022. He was also condemned for 80 instances of abuse of his position as a doctor. Close to all of the offences occurred during medical examinations that Bye carried out on his patients whilst working as a physician at his medical practice in the small town of Frosta in central Norway. The court in the city of Trondelag banned Bye from exercising his medical profession indefinitely and demanded he financially compensate his victims. A harrowing total of 94 women testified during the trial, describing how wicked Bye committed multiple acts of non-consensual touching and digital penetration without medical justification. The acts all constitute rape under Norwegian law. Addressing the court on Friday, Judge Espen Haug reportedly said: "The suspect's actions make this case an extremely serious one. The actions are unacceptable. "The defendant's actions happened in a place and setting where people are supposed to feel safe. "His actions have undermined public trust in the health service as well as doctors in general." The 55-year-old defendant stood up and appeared calm as the maximum sentence was handed to him. France's 'worst paedophile ever' goes on trial as surgeon accused of abusing 299 victims & declaring 'I'm a paedo & proud' The sentence matched the one requested by the prosecution. Bye's defense had argued for lesser sentence, recognising only 20 of the rapes. Bye also filmed the assaults. Cops seized over 6,000 hours of footage during their investigation, including of his gynaecological examinations. Bye was shown to have inserted a "deodorant-like", "bottle-like" and a cylindrical object into the women - with no medical reason for doing so. One woman, speaking to the court last November, said: "I thought I was going to die". Another unnamed woman said she had gone in to her GP's office for a sore throat - before being given one of the invasive examinations. She told how she ended up in her underwear on a bench, saying: "I thought that he is my doctor, so I did as he said." The indictment against Bye says the alleged assaults "happened quickly and unexpectedly" during the examinations. Concerns were raised about him as long ago as 2006 - by another doctor in the gynaecology ward at a local hospital. One of Bye's patients, who was there for further treatment, said her doctor had massaged her genitals during the exam. Bye was able to keep his job until the following year when charges were filed.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Retired vicar admits role in 'Eunuch Maker' extreme body modification ring
A retired vicar has admitted taking part in an extreme body modification ring run by a man calling himself the Eunuch Maker. Reverend Geoffrey Baulcomb, 79, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent after using a pair of scissors to carry out a surgical procedure on a man's penis in January 2020. He was captured in a nine-second video performing the makeshift op, which involved the enlarging the opening of a man's urethra. Baulcomb previously admitted to distributing an indecent photo of a child in March 2020 and three counts of making indecent images of children on or before December 2022. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images, amounting to 195 images. The images are linked to the self-styled 'Eunuch Maker' Marius Gustavson, who mutilated paying customers and streamed it online. Norwegian Gustavson, who had his own penis cut off, a nipple removed and his leg frozen so it had to be amputated, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years. His penis was found in a drawer in his home almost four years after it had been amputated. Baulcomb was arrested in connection with the incident in December 2022. He was ordained as a priest in 1970 and worked in Chichester, West Sussex, according to the Church of England website. Judge Nigel Lickley KC granted Baulcomb conditional bail, ordering him not to attend any Church of England premises or functions and to have no contact with children under the age of 18. More Trending Prosecutor Caroline Carberry said: 'This defendant is not deemed a flight risk by the police in this case. 'He has been on bail for a really long period of time now.' The judge told the defendant the seriousness of the GBH offence meant he would receive 'a custodial sentence of some length'. Baulcomb will be sentenced at the same court on September 1. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Married teacher posed as boy, 14, to get young girls to send him explicit photos MORE: 'Stupid' Apple Pay prank plagues commuters on London Tube MORE: Three men appear in court accused of arson attacks on properties linked to Keir Starmer
