Brutal Kidnap and Attack in Luton: Three Men Convicted
Three men from Luton and Peterborough have been found guilty of a savage, hours-long assault on a victim suspected of smashing a car window. Safed Rafiq, 36, Idnan Akbar, 32, and Dawud Safeer, 24, carried out the horrific attack in a Luton house, leaving the victim with severe injuries including broken bones and knife wounds.
Kidnapped and Beaten with Machete, Bat, and Hammer
On 29 November, Rafiq lured the victim from Ash Road to a butcher’s on Hampton Road, then back to a property on Ash Road. Inside, Akbar, Rafiq, and Safeer forced the victim upstairs and subjected him to relentless punches before attacking him with a heated machete, baseball bat, and hammer.
The horrifying ordeal only ended when Bedfordshire Police responded to a kidnapping report. Officers found the injured victim and rushed him to hospital for emergency treatment.
13 Men and 2 Women Arrested in Raids
Police also discovered 15 people aged 24 to 53 at the property. All were arrested on suspicion of kidnap and other offences. Authorities seized multiple knives and machetes during the raid.
Investigations revealed the attack was revenge for the alleged smashing of Akbar’s car window. While Rafiq and Safeer were arrested quickly, Akbar was found hiding in a Luton flat five months later.
Police Condemn ‘Disturbing’ Violence as Sentencing Looms
Detective Constable Adam Geary said: “This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have come across. The attack was brutal to the extreme. Akbar, Rafiq and Safeer are undeniably dangerous men with no place in society. It’s good news they have pleaded guilty.”
“We won’t tolerate violence like this in Bedfordshire. Anyone involved in such appalling behaviour will be caught and brought before the courts.”
The trio will be sentenced at Luton Crown Court on 13 January 2023.
For more on organised crime response and support in Bedfordshire, visit Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation (BAVEX).
