Yolo Group founder Tim Heath was subject to an attempted kidnapping in Tallinn, Estonia this summer.
The Australian businessman was allegedly targeted outside his apartment by several attackers, who were foiled in their attempt to kidnap him on 29 July.
First reported by Estonian weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress, the plot reportedly saw the men disguise themselves as painters and decorators to infiltrate Heath’s building.
The suspects allegedly then waited by the stairwell of the building, where they planned to bundle Heath into a rented van.
The plan was then reportedly to drive Heath to an Airbnb they had booked in the village of Voose, approximately an hour’s journey from Estonia’s capital.
After being foiled in their alleged criminal attack, the suspects fled on foot, with police subsequently finding items associated with the kidnapping in the vehicle.
A spokesperson for Yolo Group said: “The event in question is a personal matter and Yolo Group’s business operations remain entirely unaffected. The founder has no involvement in day-to-day company operations.”
The failed attack was only revealed after a Tallinn Circuit Court hearing involving one of the suspects, a Georgian national named Ilgar Mamedov.
Law enforcement apprehended Mamedov in Lithuania before extraditing him to Estonia for prosecution.
The police were able to track the suspects due to security cameras at the rented property and through their hired Bolt vehicle.
It is currently unknown how many total individuals were involved in the botched kidnapping and what their motive was.
According to the case’s prosecutor, Lauri Jõgi, none of the criminals were Estonian citizens.
Jogi told ABC: “For us now, it’s important to look after the victim and his safety while we’re still determining what happened.”
Heath is a well-known investor in the online gambling industry and has founded several crypto betting companies.
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