An Australian billionaire has fought off kidnappers who allegedly attempted to abduct him in Estonia.
The target of the brazen attack was cryptocurrency gambling magnate Tim Heath.
Heath, who is ranked 62nd on The Australian’s 250 Rich List, was allegedly attacked at his apartment in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, in late July.
The 46-year-old was set upon by men posing as painter-decorators and wearing hi-vis vests, who had planned to abduct him and take him to a remote hideout.
“It was only after a second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court hearing concerning one of the suspects, Georgian citizen Ilgar Mamedov, who had been held in custody since the attack and was requesting release, that the paper learned of the kidnapping attempt — which was fortunately foiled as the target was able to fight off his assailants once they had pounced,” ERR News reported, translating a report by investigative weekly Eesti Ekspress.
“The criminals had reportedly bought equipment they thought they needed from a hardware store days before and planned to take their victim to a remote hideout in the Kakerdaja bog, around 40 miles from Tallinn.”
They had rented the property via Airbnb, but since it was decked out with a security camera, and the gang had used a Bolt rental car, this made it easier for Estonian authorities to track their movements and apprehend them.
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The snatch attempt occurred just over a week before the grand opening of Heath’s $100 million Bombay Club, a land-based casino for high rollers that features opulent gaming rooms, guest rooms, cigar lounges and restaurants.
The motive for the kidnapping is unclear, but authorities believe it was likely financial.
Heath is a self-made billionaire who started his career with an online poker website in 2013 that would become Bitcasino.io.
He is the founder of Yolo Group, which owns a number of popular online casinos and sports betting platforms, including Sportsbet.io.
Yolo Group is based in Estonia, where it employs more than 1,000 people.
He has also been a driving force in developing cricket in Estonia.
Heath is a keen investor and has a portfolio of around 100 startups and early-stage companies.
Estonian police are continuing to investigate the kidnapping attempt.
It remains unclear how many individuals were involved in the plot.
