By Padraig Collins For Daily Mail Australia
An Australian billionaire has survived a shocking kidnap attempt by bravely fighting off his alleged attackers.
Tim Heath, who made his fortune in cryptocurrency gambling, was allegedly targeted at his luxury apartment in the Estonian capital Tallinn in late July.
The news of the brazen attack has only emerged months later after one of the suspects appeared in Tallinn Circuit Court.
Ilgar Mamedov, who is from another eastern Europe country, Georgia, had been in custody since the alleged attack and was seeking bail, ERR News reported.
Investigative publication Eesti Ekspress reported that Mamedov and others had gone to Estonia to allegedly try to abduct Mr Heath.
In a plan reminiscent of a Hollywood thriller, on July 29 men in hi-vis vests allegedly pretending to be painter-decorators entered the apartment building in Tallinn’s Old Town where Mr Heath lives.
They lay in wait for the Aussies businessman, but he was able to fight them off when they allegedly pounced on him.
The men had reportedly bought equipment from a hardware store days before and allegedly planned to take Mr Heath to a remote hideout in the Kakerdaja bog, around 65km from Tallinn.
Australian billionaire Tim Heath (pictured) has survived a shocking kidnap attempt by bravely fighting off his alleged attackers
They had rented a property through Airbnb, but as it had a security camera, and the gang had used a Bolt rental car, this made it easier for the Estonian authorities to track and arrest them.
The court heard the investigation into the botched alleged kidnapping attempt is ongoing.
A prosecutor said none of the alleged criminals are Estonian citizens, but the number involved was not revealed and Mamedov is the only one named, so far.
He was arrested in Lithuania – another east European country – and extradited to Estonia.
The motive for the alleged attempted kidnapping is not known, but given Mr Heath’s huge wealth, it is likely to have been financial.
The Australian Financial Review has estimated his fortune at $2.27billion and he is thought to be the 62nd richest Australian.
The alleged kidnap attempt happened the week before the opening of the $100m Bombay Club, a casino designed for wealthy patrons known as high rollers, in Tallinn.
The casino features opulent gaming rooms, guest rooms, cigar lounges, restaurants, and other facilities.
Mr Heath, who made his fortune in cryptocurrency gambling, was allegedly targeted at his luxury apartment in the Estonian capital Tallinn (pictured)
Mr Heath, 46, started his business career in 2013 with an online poker website in that later became Bitcasino.io.
He is also the founder of Yolo Group, which owns other online casinos and sports betting platforms, including Sportsbet.io.
Some of his companies have been shirt sponsors of English Premier League football teams.
Yolo is based in Estonia, where it employs around 1,000 people.
A keen cricket fan, Mr Heath has been a driving force in developing the sport in Estonia.
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Aussie billionaire Tim Heath is targeted in alleged attempted kidnapping while at his luxury Estonian apartment
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Publish date : 2024-10-23 22:35:00
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