According to a report from the news portal Arcinfo.ch, the father has been arrested in Pau, France. A Neuchâtel police spokesman confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday that the father had been arrested.
However, he could not confirm the place of detention. He was also unable to comment on a possible extradition request, as the investigation was still ongoing.
Mother has custody
The police spokesman confirmed that the abducted twins are the ones whose father had accused the mother of kidnapping them in Spain. They were found in Boudry NE in June
“The mother of the twins has exclusive custody of the children based on court decisions in Switzerland and Spain. Claims to the contrary are not correct,” the spokesperson said.
The mother of the children, like the father, has Spanish nationality. The conflict between the parents revolves around whether the children should live in Spain or Switzerland.
Woman was tied up and gagged
The kidnapping of the twins took place last Friday afternoon. The grandmother who took care of the two brothers was attacked in her house by two or three people. She was tied up and gagged. The perpetrators then left the crime scene and took the children with them.
The 54-year-old woman was able to free herself and called the police about 20 minutes later. A large-scale manhunt for the children was launched.
The investigations of the Neuchâtel detectives led, among other things, to the identification of a vehicle involved in the case, a white Toyota with Spanish number plates. The car, which is located in the west of France, was intercepted by the police in the Landes around 00:30 on Saturday. There were three people on board, including the children’s father.
The Neuchâtel police praised the response of the French authorities. The case demonstrates the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation. The two brothers were initially taken care of by the French authorities. According to Arcinfo, the twins, who appear to be in good health, are already back in La Chaux-de-Fonds with their mother and grandparents.
(SDA)