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Photographs of two men found shot dead in a burnt-out rental car in Sweden over the weekend who were feared to be British travel agency workers have been made public for the first time.
Business partners and best friends, Farouk Abdulrazak, 37, and Juan Cifuentes, 33, went on an overnight business trip to Denmark on July 14 to promote their travel company, Empire Holidays.
Family members reported the pair missing after they missed their return flight to London. The two men were found dead on Sunday afternoon inside a rented Toyota RAV4 abandoned in the Fogie industrial area of Malmö, but authorities have yet to formally identify them.
A close friend said Independent He feared it might have been a targeted attack, but didn’t think his business partner would get into trouble in Sweden.
He said: “They came from Denmark and had no problems. They crossed the border and were shot in the woods. [because] They had money, they were driving luxury cars, and there must have been an altercation before that because they were the first to be shot.
“Farooq contributed greatly to charitable causes and had no links to drugs or gangs.”
A friend said the pair were very close, “like Tom and Jerry,” adding: “Some best friends have their ups and downs, but they were always together. They managed to combine business with friendship and make it work. They would promote their business by expanding into new areas, finding popular spots and posting online to bring people in.”
“I spoke to Farooq a month ago and he was cheerful and friendly at the mosque and always attended prayers on time.
“Farooq was an outstanding member of the community and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He was a great person and a real community guy. He didn’t have any children but he was married. I’m not concerned because he always donated to charity. I’m very upset.”
The pair run a travel agency together called Empire Holidays and in recent months have posted photos of themselves posing in the ocean in Mexico and Colombia.
Cifuentes was a former lower league footballer for Welwyn Garden City.
Swedish television station TV4 said the body was so badly burned that it needed to be identified using dental records.
One post shared on Instagram urged people who may have seen it to get in touch.
It read: “Juan Cifuentes and Farouk Abdulrazak have been missing since yesterday afternoon.
“Both were on an overnight business trip in Denmark/Sweden and were due to return to the UK at 6pm on July 15th.
“But they haven’t returned and we can’t get in touch with them.”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the families of two British men who have been reported missing in Sweden and are in contact with local authorities.”
“The identities of the two people whose bodies were found in a burnt out car on Sunday afternoon have not yet been determined,” a Swedish police spokesman said.
“The body is being forensically examined. The incident is currently being investigated as a homicide.”
“Several witnesses have been interviewed and police are interested in further observations and information. Anyone with information that may be of interest to police is asked to call +46 77-114 14 00.”
