Three men arrested after allegedly assaulting and kidnapping men from SA and Qld

Three people have been arrested after two men were allegedly kidnapped and one tortured by a group of men in balaclavas.

Three people have been charged after two men were allegedly kidnapped and one tortured by a group in balaclavas.

In January, a 24-year-old South Australian and a 22-year-old Southport man were in the carpark of a Southport apartment complex, about 70km south of Brisbane, when five men allegedly arrived in a Nissan Maxima.

The five, disguised under balaclavas, approached the two men and engaged in a physical altercation before the two were forced into the 24-year-old’s Mercedes Benz sedan, police said.

The South Australian man was able to escape, albeit without his phone, but the group fled with the 22-year-old Southport man, according to police.

Witnesses alerted police to the incident at about 8.20pm after the 24-year-old raised the alarm.

He was found with facial injuries and taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

While in the car, the group took the 22-year-old a short distance away and transferred him to another vehicle, police allege.

Three men have been arrested over an alleged kidnapping. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

They say he was then taken to another address before being tied to a chair, assaulted and threatened with a firearm.

The group then dropped him off at a location in Burbank before fleeing.

The 22-year-old used a rideshare service to return to the apartment complex in Southport at about 11.30pm.

Police say he had injuries to his face and wrists and was also transported to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Following investigations, Queensland Police executed a search warrant in Marsden on Thursday and arrested a 21-year-old man from the area.

He has been charged with one count each of armed robbery, assault occasioning bodily harm, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, deprivation of liberty, sexual assault, extortion and contravene requirement.

He is expected to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Friday.

His arrest follows that of a 20-year-old man from Darra and a 23-year-old man from Paradise Point earlier in the month.

Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn said the alleged attack was not random. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

In January, Gold Coast District Criminal Investigation Branch Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn said police did not believe the alleged attack was random.

“We believe that it is a targeted attack, but for operational reasons, I don’t want to elaborate on what we think might be a motive at this point,” Inspector Ahearn said.

“It’s very rare to have someone (allegedly) kidnapped, it’s extremely concerning.

“What I would say to the community is this appears to be a targeted attack on these two gentlemen, and it’s not the case that we have a group of people going around trying to kidnap people off the street randomly.”