An Australian billionaire has fought off kidnappers who allegedly tried to kidnap him in Estonia.
The target of this brazen attack was crypto gambling mogul Tim Heath.
Mr Heath, who is ranked 62nd on Australia's list of 250 richest people, was allegedly attacked in his apartment in the Estonian capital Tallinn in late July.
The 46-year-old man was attacked by men wearing high-visibility vests posing as painters and decorators, planning to kidnap him and take him to a secluded hideout.
“This newspaper learned of the attempted kidnapping only after the conclusion of the Tallinn Circuit Court of the Second Class on one of the suspects, Georgian national Ilgar Mamedov, who has been in custody since the attack. The request for his release, which fortunately turned out to be the case, “failed as the target was able to repel the assailants who attacked him,” ERR News said, translating a report from the investigative weekly Eesti Ekspress. Reported.
“The criminals reportedly purchased the equipment they thought they would need at a hardware store several days in advance and took their victims to a secluded hideout in the Kakerdaya Wetlands, about 60 miles from Tallinn. He said he had a plan.”
They were renting the property through Airbnb, which had security cameras installed and the gang rented Bolt, making it easier for Estonian authorities to track and arrest them.
Fortunately, Heath was able to “repel the oncoming attackers” and the $100 million Bombay Club, a land-based casino for high rollers with lavish gaming rooms and guest rooms, became the grand It was a success just over a week before it opened. , cigar lounge and restaurant.
Estonian police were able to track down the alleged kidnappers thanks to the Airbnb security cameras they rented and the Bolt rental car they used.
One of the suspects, a Georgian national named Ilgar Mamedov, was arrested in Lithuania and extradited to Estonia.
The motive for the kidnapping is unknown, but authorities believe it was likely for financial gain.
Who is Tim Heath?
Heath is a self-made millionaire who started his career in 2013 with the online poker website that later became 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 and employs more than 1,000 people.
He is also a driving force behind the development of Estonian cricket.
Heath is an avid investor and has a portfolio of approximately 100 start-up and early stage companies. He recently launched a new business called Bombay Club, a luxury casino for high rollers in Tallinn.
Tim Heath kidnapping attempt
The attempted kidnapping occurred in late July 2024 in the old town of Tallinn, Estonia.
The kidnappers reportedly posed as businessmen and attacked Mr. Heath on the stairs of his apartment, but Mr. Heath was able to fight them off.
What's next?
Estonian police continue to investigate the attempted kidnapping.
It remains unclear how many people were involved in the conspiracy.
