Brothers who kidnapped ‘wealthy’ man in honeytrap plot forced to slash ransom when his friends ‘couldn’t afford it’

TWO brothers who held a man at gunpoint for hours believing he was wealthy were forced to lower their ransom after his friends could not afford it. The pair threatened to kill Ali Almafraji if they did not receive £30,000 by sunrise, before realising nobody had the money. The brothers were forced to reduce the ransom until they settled at just £2000 Credit: Met Police The crooks climbed into the victim’s car wearing balaclavas and waiving around a fake gun Credit: Met Police Bilal, 28, and Zachariya Rakik, 26, kidnapped the victim after luring him to a south-east London Nando’s restaurant with a fake dating profile. The crooks then climbed into the victim’s car wearing balaclavas and began the harrowing ordeal. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Almafraji was then threatened with an imitation handgun, unaware it was not real, which they waved in the air and threatened to shoot him with. The brothers took over Almafraji’s car and began driving him around Lewisham while calling his contacts demanding the money. They threatened if they did not receive the money by sunrise then they would shoot the man dead. However, after repeated calls to the man’s friends, they soon realised nobody had the money. At that point they were forced to reduce the ransom, until they eventually settled at just £2000. Friends, however, quickly foiled the plans of the brothers by ringing police and passing on the car registration plate. Most read in The Sun The Met Police’s Flying Squad later ambushed the car at 4:20am, which was all caught on video. The dramatic footage shows officers swooping in and saving Almafraji following the traumatic ordeal. The pair were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court to a combined total of more than 14 years. Judge Yale said: “You put a collapsing timeframe on the threats, making it plain to Mr Almafraji and his friends that he would be killed if the money wasn’t raised by first light.” Bilal was jailed for seven years and two months, and Zachariya for seven years and one month.