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Mother-in-law of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone kidnapped in Brazil

Xinhua, July 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Brazilian mother-in-law of Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has been kidnapped in Sao Paulo, according to local media reports Tuesday.

The Veja news magazine reported that Aparecida Schunck Flosi Palmeira, 67, and mother of Fabiana Flosi, Ecclestone's wife, was kidnapped on Friday from her house in the southern neighborhood of Interlagos.

For the moment, the police have provided no details about the case, but Veja alleged that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 120 million reais (36.5 million US dollars) to be paid in pound sterling, delivered in four separate bags.

If true, this would be the highest ransom demand ever recorded in Brazil. This is further bad news for Brazil as criminal incidents have been on the rise ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Ecclestone and Flosi met during the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo. They were married three years later and currently live in the UK.

Ecclestone, 85, is considered one of the richest men in the world of sports and has an estimated net worth of 3.1 billion dollars, according to Forbes. Endit