First photo of travel agent suspected of being shot dead in burned car during overnight trip to Sweden

First photo of travel agent suspected of being shot dead in burned car during overnight trip to Sweden

Two British travel agents believed to be the two men found shot dead in a burnt-out rental car in Sweden at the weekend have been pictured for the first time.

Business partners and best friends Farooq Abdulrazaq, 37, and Juan Cifuentes, 33, had travelled to Denmark for an overnight business trip on July 14 to promote their agency, Empire Holidays.

Family members reported the couple missing after they were unable to board their flight back to London. Two men were found dead on Sunday afternoon in the city of Malmö, inside a rented Toyota RAV4 abandoned in the Fosie industrial area, but they have not yet been formally identified by authorities.

A close friend said The Independent He feared it was a targeted attack, but did not believe business partners would have gotten into trouble in Sweden.

He said: “They came from Denmark and had no problems. They crossed the border and were shot in the forest, either [because] They had money on them and were in a nice car. They were shot first, so an altercation must have happened before.

“Farooq did a lot of charity work, he had absolutely nothing to do with drugs or gangs.”

Two bodies found in burnt-out Toyota RAV4 abandoned in Malmö, friends and family now have to wait anxiously
Two bodies found in burnt-out Toyota RAV4 abandoned in Malmö, friends and family now have to wait anxiously (TV4 news)

The friend said they were very close “like Tom and Jerry”. He added: “You have your best friend – sometimes you argue, but they always stuck together. They managed to mix business and friendship and make it work. They were trying to promote their business by going into new areas, looking for hot spots and posting online to attract people.”

“I spoke to Farooq a month ago. He was cheerful and friendly at the mosque. He was always on time for prayers.

“Farooq was an outstanding member of the community and one of the best men I have ever met. He was a great character and very committed to the community. He had no children but was married. I don’t worry about him because he was always giving to charity. I was very sad.”

The couple ran a travel agency together called Empire Holidays and had posted pictures of themselves posing in the sea in Mexico and Colombia in recent months.

Mr Cifuentes played lower division football for Welwyn Garden City.

Swedish television channel TV4 said their bodies were so badly burned that they had to be identified using dental records.

A post shared on Instagram prompted people who saw them to contact them.

It read: “Juan Cifuentes and Farooq Abdulrazak have been missing since yesterday afternoon.

“Both men were on an overnight business trip to Denmark/Sweden and were due to return to the UK at 6pm on 15 July.

“But they did not return and were not contacted.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of two British people missing in Sweden and are in contact with local authorities.”

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.”