Italy: Migrant thrown from 3rd floor, he had landed in Lampedusa

Rome: Italian police have arrested two Pakistani nationals for kidnapping and extorting a fellow national, ultimately throwing him from the third floor of a building after demanding a large sum of money for his release. The incident occurred in the town of Asti, located in the Piedmont region.

The victim, a young Pakistani man, suffered a 12-meter fall that nearly cost him his life. He was discovered in critical condition on the ground and was immediately transported to Cardinal Massaia Hospital for emergency treatment.

The case came to light after the hospital alerted law enforcement authorities.

Investigations revealed that the crime was linked to illegal migration. On March 13, the Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for two suspects.

According to reports, the young man was kidnapped, beaten, and thrown from a third-floor apartment on Corso Matteotti, an area near the Asti train station.

The protagonists of the incident are four Pakistani citizens, three men and one woman. The police mobile squad investigated the issue, in coordination with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Asti.

The young man is alive by sheer miracle. He was hospitalized in a facility where he is trying to regain the use of his legs, and he recounted the story of what happened to police officers.

The victim’s journey began in a village in Pakistan. After 44 hours at sea, he arrived in Lampedusa and was subsequently transferred to a shelter in Northern Italy. From there, he attempted to travel to Spain by bus but was turned back at the French border. He then learned of a contact in Asti who could help him.

Following this lead, he and a female compatriot contacted the individual and were instructed to travel to Asti, where two men awaited them. Upon arrival, the woman was taken to a separate lodging while the victim was confined in a building on Corso Matteotti. His captors seized his identification documents, phone, and money.

The kidnappers demanded 15,000 euros from his family in Pakistan for his release. When he refused, they subjected him to brutal violence. While his female companion managed to escape, he remained trapped and endured prolonged torture. Eventually, his captors dangled him over a balcony for several minutes before throwing him onto the street below. He was later rescued by an ambulance from the 118 emergency service.

Through extensive investigative work, including data analysis, social media tracking, and surveillance, police identified the two assailants. One of the suspects was already wanted internationally by Hungarian authorities for human trafficking. His arrest led investigators to the second suspect, who was found in the province of Brescia.

Both men are now in custody and face charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and facilitating illegal migration.