Juan Cifuentes and Farooq Abdulrazak reported missing by their families after failing to return home from a work trip
Thursday 18 July 2024 12:27 BST
The Metropolitan Police have said they are trying to determine whether two Londoners missing in Sweden are the two people whose bodies were found in a burnt-out rental car in Malmo.
Juan Cifuentes, 33, and Farooq Abdulrazak, 37, from north London, were reported missing by their families after failing to return home on Sunday from a business trip to Denmark and Sweden.
Swedish police announced Sunday that two people had been found dead in an industrial area of Malmo. Investigators said the victims were shot dead Sunday and the car was then set on fire. Police said they were still working to identify the bodies and had interviewed several witnesses.
The Toyota Rav4 had been rented at Copenhagen Airport by a British citizen before the driver and passenger crossed the border from Denmark to Sweden and travelled to Malmo, according to Swedish national newspaper Aftonbladet.
On Monday, the families of Cifuentes and Abdulrazak launched an “urgent” appeal on social media for information on their whereabouts, writing: “Both men were on an overnight business trip to Denmark/Sweden and were due to return to the UK at 6pm yesterday… but have not returned and have not been contactable.
“If you have had contact with Juan or Farooq in the last few days or have any information about their travel, please contact the people below immediately to assist them in their investigation.”
The publication then mentioned the names of the couple’s relatives, who are said to have run the travel agency Empire Holidays.
Police said they were trying to determine whether their disappearance was linked to the deaths in Malmo. “We continue to work with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to determine whether the deaths of two men in Malmo, Sweden, are linked to the deaths of two men who went missing in north London on Monday 15 July,” a spokesperson said.
On Thursday, Welwyn Garden City FC paid tribute to Cifuentes, who played for the team. A club spokesperson posted on X: “Everyone at the club is saddened and shocked by the news yesterday of the passing of Juan Cifuentes. Juan was part of our team that won the double in 2014-15. He was a great player and a great person. We send our condolences to all his family, friends and former team-mates. RIP Juan.”
Cifuentes’ former manager Adam Fisher added: “I am absolutely devastated, upset, angry and more. It was an absolute pleasure to manage this man… and someone who became a close friend, a brilliant teammate, a father and a husband! My sincere condolences and thoughts to all his family. Fly high Juanito my friend and rest in peace.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson added: “We are supporting the families of two British people missing in Sweden and are in contact with local authorities.”
Rickard Lundqvist, a spokesman for the southern Swedish police, said he could not comment on reports naming the two men in the British press.
“We cannot confirm the information that was broadcast in the British media and then picked up by the Swedish media. But we are continuing to work on our investigation into the murder,” he said on Wednesday.
Lundqvist added that it was not yet possible to confirm the identities of the bodies found on Sunday. “The people have not yet been identified because we are still waiting for the results of the forensic investigation. Sometimes it can take time. As soon as we have new information, we will publish it, probably starting with contacting the families.”
Claes Ljung, the British consul in Malmo, added on Wednesday: “Someone who was very, very worried called me on Monday and said that a relative had gone missing and the family were very, very worried about it.”
A Swedish police spokesman said: “The two people found dead in a burnt-out car on Sunday afternoon have not yet been identified.
“The bodies are being forensically examined. The incident is currently being investigated as a murder.
“Several witnesses have been interviewed and the police are seeking further observations and information. If you have any information that may be of interest to the police, call +46 77-114 14 00.”
Kerstin Gossé, acting spokeswoman for Malmö police, added: “I can’t confirm anything about the car, other than that it was a black Toyota Rav4, registered in Denmark.”
