Charges laid after 2023 East Vancouver kidnapping

The Vancouver Police Department says two men and a teen have been charged after allegedly breaking into a home and kidnapping four people in 2023.

In an update on the case Thursday, the VPD says the incident happened on March 11, 2023.

The four victims — all from the same family — were allegedly kidnapped from their East Vancouver home during the night, driven outside of the city, and “held hostage for a period of time.”

VPD Sgt. Steve Addison says the BC Prosecution Service has approved charges against 19-year-old Duoth Techen Garkouth of Surrey, 19-year-old Ramadhan Ibrahim-Hussein of Richmond, and an unnamed 17-year-old teen from Surrey. The three have been charged with break-and-enter and kidnapping.

“We’ve spent months collecting and methodically analyzing evidence in this case, and that work led us to the arrest of three suspects who have now been charged for their alleged roles in these crimes,” Addison said.

Speaking to media Thursday, Addison said police believe the three suspects have links to the ongoing B.C. gang conflict, adding, “The hostages, the people who were kidnapped, are not believed or were not involved in criminal activity.”

Addison said police believe they know why the family was targeted, but as the matter is before the courts, police are unable to publicly comment.

The VPD works to proactively prevent teenagers being drawn into criminal activities, Addison said, however, police see “frighteningly young teenagers get drawn into gang life.”

“We don’t want to see people, young people — often kids who are still in high school — enter a life of crime.”

Ibrahim-Hussein and the teen were arrested in Surrey on April 3, with Garkhouth apprehended on April 10 in New Westminster, police say.

The three suspects remain in custody awaiting trial.

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