The mother-in-law of Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has been
kidnapped by a criminal gang in Brazil demanding £28m ($36.5m, €33.1m)
in ransom, according to local media.
Aparecida Schunck, the
67-year-old mother of Ecclestone’s wife, Fabiana Flosi, was reportedly
taken in the Sao Paulo neighbourhood of Interlagos on Friday night (22
July).
The gang responsible demanded the ransom be paid in pounds sterling
with the money divided into four bags, according to leading Brazilian weekly magazine Veja. It is believed to be the highest amount demanded by kidnappers in the country’s history.
Authorities in Brazil have yet to confirm the kidnapping.
Ecclestone,
85, is estimated to be worth about $3.1bn according to Forbes magazine,
and is one of the most powerful officials in Formula One.
He
married Flosi, 38, in 2012 after meeting her at the Brazilian Grand Prix
and divorcing his wife of 25 years, Croatian model Slavica Radic. The pair now live in England.
The kidnappers are reportedly in contact with the Ecclestone family, who have yet to release a statement.