The Consul of the United Kingdom kidnapped!

According to Ecuadorian media reports, Armstrong, the Honorary Consul of the United Kingdom in Guayaquil and businessman, was forcibly detained by unidentified armed men in Los Rios province in the south-west of the country.

According to a statement by police officials, Armstrong is presumed to have been kidnapped by gangs linked to drug trafficking.

NO STATEMENT RELEASED The Foreign Ministries of the United Kingdom and Ecuador have not yet made a statement on the abduction of Consul Armstrong.

Police launched a large-scale operation to locate Armstrong.

Ecuador has been grappling with a security crisis for a long time. There is news of attacks almost every day due to the war of gangs.