The daughter of a millionaire British businessman reportedly kidnapped by gunmen at his home in Ecuador has pleaded that her family just wants her father returned safely.
Colin Armstrong, a 78-year-old awarded an OBE for services to the British monarchy, was seized from his ranch in Ecuador’s Los Rios province, local media say.
A Colombian woman, identified as his wife, was also abducted during the raid in the early hours of Saturday morning, which was reportedly carried out by around 15 men.
Criminals disguised as police officers are said to have forcibly entered Mr Amstrong’s property in the town of Baba before kidnapping the couple.
The Foreign Office said it has been in contact with the family of a British man who has disappeared but did not confirm his identity or the location of the alleged crime.
But his daughter Diana Armstrong-Bruns, an estate agent based in California, has now spoken out about her father’s kidnap.
“This is a critical time,” Ms Armstrong-Bruns told the MailOnline. “We’ve been told not to say anything to anyone. We just want my father back.”
Mr Armstrong is the founder of Agripac, an agricultural products supply company in Ecuador established in 1972. He also owns the vast Tupgill Park estate in Coverdale in the Yorkshire Dales, home to the Forbidden Corner folly garden and tourist attraction.
He was awarded an OBE and CMG for services to the British monarchy in 2011. He was also an honorary consul supporting British interests in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil until 2016.
Asked about claims that her brother, who helps run the family’s estate in North Yorkshire, was abroad and attempting to secure his father’s return, Ms Armstrong-Burns said: “I really can’t say anything else, we’ve been told not to speak to anyone.”
The honorary diplomat’s son is believed to have an extensive network of contacts in Ecuador and will use them to try and help secure the release of his father, according to the outlet.
In Ecuador, kidnapping for ransom has become increasingly common and has been linked to drugs trafficking gangs.
Ecuador Police said in a statement that specialised units were carrying out “operational and research tasks” in the area following “the alleged criminal act against a businessman”.
Additional reporting by Reuters
