British businessman’s daughter was ‘held in shack with snakes and scorpions’

A model who was kidnapped with her young daughter and husband was held in a run-down shack filled with snakes and scorpions, police have said.

Luciana Curtis – daughter of British businessman Malcolm Leo Curtis – was targeted outside a restaurant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and taken hostage with her husband Henrique Gendre and their 11-year-old.

More than a week after the kidnapping, no arrests have been made but authorities have said those responsible will be charged with kidnapping, extortion and robbery.

Luciana and her family were held for 12 hours after the thieves stole her car and forced her to make bank transfers into their own accounts.

New images of the shack where the model was held have been released as police continue their investigation.

The shabby building was in a rural wooded area, with a mud floor – and local media said the family were kept with scorpions and snakes while being threatened with firearms.

A burned out vehicle was found on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, but it’s unclear if its the same vehicle stolen from Luciana and her husband.

After the couple and their daughter didn’t return from dinner, their eldest child raised the alarm.

Luciana and her husband and daughter were released from the shack just as the police hunt for the trio began.

A spokesman for Luciana confirmed the kidnap to local press last week, adding: ‘The family has been released and they are safe and well.’

Police said in a statement: ‘The armed criminals approached the victims outside a restaurant and took them captive. During the search by specialist police teams, the gang abandoned the family and fled.’

Ford Models beauty Luciana Curtis was born in Sao Paulo to British businessman father Malcolm Leo Curtis and Brazilian teacher mum Katia Maria Furtado de Mendonca Curtis.

She won the Brazilian final of Supermodel of the World in 1993 after receiving an invitation to become a model during a visit to a shopping centre as a teenager.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.