British travel agents thought to be pair shot dead and burned in car in Malmo
17 July 2024, 17:40 | Updated: 17 July 2024, 17:43
Two British travel agents are believed to be the pair found shot dead and their bodies burned in a car in Malmo.
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Farooq Abdulrazaq, 37, and Juan Cifuentes, 33, are thought to have travelled to Denmark on July 14 for an overnight business trip to promote their travel agency business, Empire Holidays.
The pair were reported missing after they failed to return home to London.
Two bodies were recovered after firefighters were called to a rented Toyota RAV4 on fire in an industrial estate in the Fosie area in the coastal city of Malmo on Sunday.
Police said the victims had been shot before the car was set alight, burning their remains.
It is believed they rented a car at Copenhagen Kastrup airport before they were found in the nearby Swedish city across the border.
Police have not yet formerly identified the victims but said on Tuesday they had an 'idea' of the duo's names.
It is thought that the bodies were so badly burned the victims will need to be identified using dental records.
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A close friend of the pair described them as "best friends" and said they did not believe Abdulrazaq and Cifuentes would have gotten into trouble in Sweden.
They told the Independent: "They travelled from Denmark and had no problems. They crossed the border and were shot at in the forest, either [because] they had money on them and were in a nice car.
"They were shot at first so an altercation must have happened before."
A statement from Swedish police said: "The two people who were found dead in a burnt-out car on Sunday afternoon have not yet been identified.
"The bodies are being examined by forensic medicine. The incident is currently being investigated as a murder.
"Several witnesses have been interviewed and the police are interested in further observations and tips. If you have information that could be of interest to the police, call +46 77-114 14 00."
