The kidnappers of prominent Greek industrialist George Mylonas have asked for a €30-million ransom to release him, police said Wednesday.

Police found the ransom note in the glove compartment of Mylonas' car, used by the abductors to carry off their victim and later found after an anonymous tip-off, a police source in the northern city of Salonika said.

The industrialist's family was given a week to collect the money, and an anonymous caller contacted the family on Tuesday night to confirm the terms, police said.

Mylonas (49), chairperson of the federation of northern Greek industries and head of Alumil SA, an aluminium conglomerate with subsidiaries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, was abducted on Monday night as he returned home with his wife, police said.

Three hooded men intercepted the couple, boarded the family Mercedes and drove away with Mylonas, leaving his wife behind, police added.

Mylonas' car was found at a supermarket car park close to his residence after the tip-off.

Police set up checkpoints across Salonika, on highways leading out of the city and on Greece's frontiers with Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the search continued for the tycoon and his abductors.

Police suspect that at least five people, who they believe are Greek, are involved in the kidnapping — the three gunmen, a driver who picked them up after they switched cars at the supermarket, and the mastermind behind the operation.

They were looking into the possible involvement of convicted bank robber Vassilis Paleokostas, who escaped from Korydallos high security prison in Athens two years ago.

In 1995, Paleokostas and his brother Nikos, who is now in jail, abducted another prominent Salonika businessman Alexandros Haitoglou. He was released after his family paid a ransom of around €734 000 ($1.16-million).

AFP