The brother of the alleged captor of British model Chloe Ayling has been arrested, police have said.
Michal Konrad Herba, 36, was held on a European Arrest Warrant at an address in Tividale, West Midlands.
He is the brother of suspect Lukasz Pawel Herba, who is being held by Italian police after Ms Ayling was allegedly kidnapped in Milan.
Ms Ayling, 20, was allegedly abducted and held by a group calling itself “Black Death” for five days.
Michal Herba was arrested in a joint operation by West Midlands Police and East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on 17 August.
It is alleged that kidnappers attempted to sell Ms Ayling online for £230,000.
Ms Ayling, from Coulsdon, south London, arrived in Milan on 10 July for a photo shoot.
There, Italian police say she was attacked by two men, drugged with ketamine and abducted, apparently to be sold in an online auction.
She is believed to have been transported in a bag to an isolated village near Turin, Italy, but was released on July 17.
Ms Ayling’s lawyer Francesco Pesce has said she was told she would be sold in the Middle East “for sex”.
Speaking after the alleged abduction, Ms Ayling said she feared for her life throughout the “terrifying experience”.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release,” she said.
Italian police documents revealed that suspect Lukasz Herba said he had got involved in order to raise money for cancer treatment.
A Polish national, who lives in Oldbury in the West Midlands, he told investigators he drove her to the British consulate in Milan and released her before the sale went ahead.
The National Crime Agency and EMSOU said it was providing specialist support to the Italian police as part of the investigation.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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