Brother of main suspect arrested in model Chloe Ayling 'kidnapping' investigation

The brother of the man suspected of being behind the alleged kidnapping of British model Chloe Ayling has been arrested in the West Midlands.

Michal Konrad Herba, the brother of main suspect Lukasz Pawel Herba, was arrested in the Tividale area of Birmingham by officers investigating allegations the 20-year-old model was held hostage for several days in Italy after being lured there by the promise of a fake photoshoot.

Italian authorities said they are looking into claims whether Lukasz Herba has links to the "Black Death" criminal organisation that works on the dark web.

Ayling, from Coulsdon, south London, was allegedly drugged with ketamine and stuffed in a suitcase before being driven from Milan to a remote farmhouse near Turin and held against her will for six days before she was dropped off at the British consulate in Milan.

While it is unclear why the kidnapping came to an end, it is the reported the 20-year-old was released because she had a two-year-old child and the gang's 'rules' prevent them from kidnapping and trafficking mothers.

Both the Herba brothers are believed to be living in the West Midlands.

A National Crime Agency spokesperson said: "Officers from West Midlands Police and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) this morning [17 August] arrested the brother of Lukasz Pawel Herba in connection with the kidnapping of Chloe Ayling.

"Michal Konrad Herba, aged 36, was apprehended at an address in the Tividale area of the West Midlands on a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Italian authorities. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on 17 August.

"The National Crime Agency and EMSOU are providing specialist support to the Italian Polizia di Stato as part of this ongoing investigation."