Police may have seized rival group leader, police say

Elias C. Arnold

The Arizona Republic
Jan. 7, 2008 12:00 AM

Police say a twisted series of events led them to a southwest Phoenix home, where a suspected human-smuggling ringleader could have been kidnapped by a rival group.

Investigators think a “kidnapping organization” took four members of the group captive and beat them before binding and gagging the men and forcing one victim to take the kidnappers to another suspected smuggler's southwest Phoenix home.

A lack of cooperation from the victim's family is hindering efforts to capture the suspects, Phoenix Police Sgt. Phil Roberts said at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

According to Roberts, police discovered a man near an apartment complex in the 4200 block of North 35th Avenue about 10:40 p.m. Saturday. After questioning, the man led police to another pair in the apartment complex who were also bound, gagged and beaten.