
A British model spoke yesterday of her terrifying kidnap ordeal at the hands of a gang who threatened to auction her for sex online.

Chloe Ayling was lured to a fake photoshoot in Milan where she was drugged, stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into a suitcase in the boot of a car.

Driven to a remote farmhouse, the 20-year-old was held hostage for six days while her captors demanded £270,000 for her safe return.

Back in the UK yesterday after she was freed by the group, the mother of one said: ‘I’ve been through a terrifying experience. I’ve feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.’

Chloe Ayling was drugged, handcuffed and loaded into a car boot in Milan before being driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin where she was kept for six days. But she was set free when they found out she was a mother of a two-year-old boy

Chloe Ayling, 20, talking from her doorstep in South London this afternoon after her horrific ordeal in Italy and Paris

The British model, pictuered, who was drugged, stuffed in a bag, driven to a farmhouse and auctioned as a sex slave by a Dark Web gang has described how she woke up shackled inside a bag with tape over her mouth

It is thought that she was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit, where her kidnapper attempted to sell her on the dark web

Model Chloe Ayling at home with her dog in Coulsden, Surrey after returning from Milan following a kidnapping by Polish terror gang

When officers arrested him he was found in possession of a pamphlet on Black Death which offers the sexual services of women for auction

An image supposedly uploaded to the dark web by Black Death shows a woman alongside details including measurements and nationality, although the picture is believed to be a scene from a pornographic film

Lukasz Herba, a Pole who lives in the West Midlands, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap.

The 30-year-old, believed to be a senior figure in a shadowy online network called Black Death, allegedly threatened to sell the Page 3 model for sex to the highest bidder on the so-called Dark Web if his demands were not met.

Miss Ayling flew to Milan on July 10 after her modelling agency was contacted by Herba, who pretended to be a photographer and asked her to go to an address in the city the next day. But when she arrived at a fake studio near the central station, she was attacked by kidnappers in balaclavas who injected her with the powerful horse tranquilliser ketamine, she said. While she was unconscious, they stripped her, handcuffed her wrists and ankles and put tape across her mouth.

The young mother was then stuffed into a suitcase and locked in the boot of a car, it is claimed, and driven 120 miles to a remote farmhouse near Turin.

Miss Ayling, who returned to her family home in Coulsdon, south London, yesterday after almost a month in Italy, said: ‘A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming.

‘A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm.’

Her official statement said: ‘I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now.

Miss Ayling was stuffed into a suitcase and driven 120 miles to this remote farmhouse near Turin

The garden of the farmhouse where she was kept during her terrifying ordeal at the hands of her captors

A path leads further up the garden, much of which has become wild, overgrown and unkempt

The victim was kept shackled to a wooden chest of drawers at the farmhouse in Borgial, a hamlet near Turin

ODDBALL SUSPECT WHO CARRIED A RAT AROUND The suspect held over the kidnap of model Chloe Ayling is an oddball with a pet rat he carries on his shoulder, neighbours said yesterday. Lukasz Herba, 30, is believed to have plotted the audacious crime from a two-bedroom flat in Tividale, near Dudley, West Midlands. Neighbours said the Pole appeared to leave for work each morning in a suit – but returned repeatedly throughout the day in a battered red Toyota, sometimes carrying the rodent on his shoulder. The second-floor flat he is believed to share with his brother was raided by police on July 18, a week after 20-year-old Miss Ayling was abducted after being lured to Milan to take part in a fake photoshoot. Neighbour Ciaran Williams, 33, a carpenter, said: ‘Every half hour or 40 minutes he’d come back. ‘I didn’t think much of it at the time, but in hindsight it was a bit weird and shifty. He’d also carry a rat around with him sometimes.’ Police in Italy say Lukasz Herba , pictured, 'kidnapped and tried to sell a British model on the dark web for £270,000' Another resident, 23-year-old model Sinead Boyce, said: ‘He’s a crazy bloke, he really is. ‘He kept himself to himself a lot, I don’t think we ever got a word out of him. We’d see him from time-to-time carrying this rat on his shoulder. He’d take it to the corner shop and all sorts.’ Other homeowners said Lukasz, from Szczecin in northern Poland, has not been seen at the council property for at least three weeks. One said they saw Herba’s brother in the foyer of the block with a big bag. The neighbour said: ‘I asked him what he was doing and he said he was moving out.’ Italian police said Herba had used the name Daniel Zawada on at least one passport they confiscated. On his Facebook page, he lists motorbikes, American ‘muscle cars’ and online computer games amongst his ‘likes’. He also displays the logo of a mysterious online ‘technology trade’ firm as his banner picture. Officers from West Midlands and Derbyshire carried out the early morning raid on his flat last month. Police reportedly found photos of the model and documents on Herba’s phone and computer. Advertisement

Having been flown back to the UK speaking from her three-bedroom terraced home in Coulsdon, south London, Chloe Ayling spoke of her horrific experience

The online criminals, known as Black Death, lured the model, 20, whose identity has not been revealed, from Paris to an abandoned shop near Milan 's Central Station with the promise of a photoshoot

Chloe Ayling, pictured, describing how she woke up shackled inside a suitcase with her mouth covered in tape

In a list of terms and conditions, the advert states: 'Girls can be transported globally, we have contractors for that, for a price ... EU delivery is free, might take time dependant on current location and drop-off point.' It notes the British model's details as 'Born in UK; Abducted in Italy; Held in Germany; 19 year old; Caucasian; 34DD-25-35; Beginner model; Starting bid $300,000. Auction takes place 16.7.2017'

Two pairs of handcuffs were among the evidence which was seized by police following the discovery of the kidnapped model

Chloe Ayling's family feared they would never see her again having been lured from the UK with the promise of a photoshoot

‘I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth.

‘I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole.’ The model said the gang were forced to stop the hatchback every 45 minutes because of her ‘continuous moans and movements in the bag’.

On one occasion one of the masked men threw ‘fizzy water directly into my mouth’. In her statement, the model said there were at least five kidnappers, including Herba.

Investigators said the victim was kept shackled to a wooden chest of drawers at the farmhouse in Borgial, a hamlet near Turin.

She was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. Police said she was not raped. Herba is alleged to have told detectives he had sex with the victim but the circumstances of his claim remained unclear last night.

The Pole told the landlord of the rural property he was a painter in search of inspiration and that he had found the right spot.

After the alleged kidnap he is said to have threatened the modelling agency that if it did not pay up by July 16 he would put the victim up for ‘auction’ on the Dark Web, a hidden part of the internet that is only accessible with special software.

The suspect is said to have posted semi-naked pictures of the model alongside her age, dress size and ethnicity.

Chloe was described as: 'Born in UK; Abducted in Italy; Held in Germany; 19 year old; Caucasian; 34DD-25-35; Beginner model; Starting bid $300,000. Auction takes place 16.7.2017'

Describing her horrific ordeal, Chloe Ayling (pictured left and right) said: 'A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming,' the woman told police

She was drugged with ketamine at an abandoned office, pictured, an Italian court heard, where she was told the photoshoot would take place

Officers have since cordoned off the property and say she was going to be released by the kidnappers because 'she was a mother with a two-year-old child'

She was loaded into the back of the vehicle and kept in the bag for two-and-a-half hours during the 120-mile drive from Milan to Turin, pictured

One of the disturbing images is of her dressed in a velvet body suit, looking dazed and lying on the floor with her left breast exposed.

Her captors even placed a calling card on her stomach that described ‘delivery’ arrangements and that ‘collection can be arranged’. It is thought several requests were made to ‘buy’ the model.

The online network Black Death has been previously investigated by Europol. It refers to victims as ‘merchandise’ and boasts it can ‘kidnap a specific target for your needs’.

Herba reportedly decided to release the model after finding out that she has a two-year-old son. According to Italian police, the rules of his gang apparently ban ‘kidnapping mothers’.

Describing more of her ordeal, Miss Ayling told police: ‘[Herba] tells me that his boss is furious as they have kidnapped the wrong person.

‘I should not have been taken because it is clear from my Instagram account that I am a mother of a small child and that’s against the rules of the organisation.

‘He said the imprisonment couldn’t stop as they had already published two pictures of me on the deep web, made when I was unconscious.

‘There were already some people who expressed their interest in me.

'THIS IS JUST BUSINESS': WHAT BLACK DEATH TOLD THE MODEL 'You are being released as a huge generosity from Black Death Group. Your release does, however, come with a warning and you should read this letter very carefully. 'You are certainly aware of your value on human slavery market (sic) and must make a note that this isn't personal, this is business. For your release we have taken a number of factors into consideration. 'A mistake was made by capturing you, especially considering you are a young mother that should have in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping. Second important factor (sic) you are very well aware of is your overall protection by one of our main and very well respected men who made a very clear and solid stance in your case. 'You will, upon your landing in your home country cease any investigation activities related to your kidnapping. You also agreed to sneak a pre-determined set of information in to the media and we will expect to see evidence that has been done in the near future. 'You and your family will, in no way ever talk about us in bad language and without respect. You have been treated fairly, with respect and we expect to hear exactly the same about us in return. You can release any information you have heard from MO while your holding as he would never give you any information that could harm our activities. We will not tolerate lying about anything that has happened. 'You have also agreed to pay outstanding costs of your release of $50,000. We expect that money to be paid in BitCoins within one month. 'Any sort of disobedience with the above will result in your elimination.' Advertisement

Police said the model was driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin, pictured, and officers are now looking for accomplices after the model told them she was 'attacked by two people'

Pictured: The interior 'dungeon' of the farmhouse where the model was kept for six days before she was taken back to Milan to be released

Police found a small bedroom, pictured, in the property but it is unclear whether it was used by the model or the kidnapper

Prosecutors in Italy said Herba was linked to the 'Black Death' criminal organisation that works on the dark web

Police also released an image of Herba's passport in which he went by another name, Daniel Zawada, as well as a card with a bizarre image that appears to contain contact details for the 'Black Death' group

A court heard she had been lured to Milan from Paris but was kidnapped in a 'very well organised seizure' at the shop, pictured

‘He told me he had made more than 15million euros in the last five years. He explained to me that all girls are sold to Arab countries. When the buyer is tired of a girl he either gives her to other people or feeds her to the tigers.’

Herba reportedly drove the model back to the British consulate in Milan on July 17 – a move which led to his arrest. Before dropping her off he is said to have demanded £45,000 from her and ‘threatened to kill her’ if she told anyone about her ordeal.

Detectives say Herba has confessed to the plot, which is said to have taken several months to plan. He appeared in a Milan court on Friday. Police investigator Serena Ferrari said: ‘The psychological pressure on the girl has been extreme.’

Detectives said Herba claims he is suffering from leukaemia and that the other members of the gang are Romanian.

He is said to have told police that the others forced him to write the blackmail emails to Miss Ayling’s modelling agency.

The model took police to the fake studio and the remote house where she was held before returning to Britain yesterday.

Police found several items belonging to the model. pictured, in the shop in Milan as well as a card with a picture relating to the 'Black Death' group

It appears the model was stripped of some of her clothing with items found abandoned on the shop floor by police

The shop, pictured, has been sealed off while a vehicle belonging to Herba was searched with the woman's hair found inside

Police say they have not established whether the online auction was a scam or if the kidnappers actually intended to sell the model

Prosecutors added Herba was contacted over the internet two days later with requests to 'buy' her for sexual purposes while she was at the Turin farmhouse, pictured

MYSTERY OF ONLINE CRIME SYNDICATE: WHO OR WHAT IS BLACK DEATH? Little is known about the Black Death criminal syndicate that is said to operate on the dark web. They are said to have been set up during the early days of the internet in 1994 and are involved in various crimes. When police arrested Herba they found a pamphlet associated with the group which said they operate in 'disturbing' areas including bombing, drug dealing, human trafficking and arms dealing. A note was also found addressed to the victim saying she was being released due to the 'huge generosity' of the group. It went on to say one of their members 'made a case' to release her which was granted due to her 'status as a young mother', with her kidnapping branded 'a mistake'. A leaflet advertising Black Death's services was found by police alongside a note to the victim explaining why she was being released But it came with a warning not to tell authorities about the kidnapping and she was told 'never to talk about us in bad language and without respect'. The note said the model had been 'treated fairly and with respect' and the group expected the same. A picture also showed a cartoon of doctors from the mid 1300s wearing 'plague masks' with hooked noses which they believed would protect them from 'putrid air' which was thought to carry the disease. There has been some debate as to whether Black Death is real or an online scam. Writer Joseph Cox who works for internet site Motherboard said he tried to investigate their dealings in 2015 and tried to enter an auction for a woman. After exchanging numerous emails, the group wrote to him: 'We don't invite strangers to auctions. We don't want popularity. No Europol. No people just looking around. No journalists or bloggers. Just serious business.' Advertisement

A car has been found and is being treated as evidence by police in the investigation into the model's kidnapping

A pair of trainers is among the evidence being examined by police following the shock discovery that the model had been kidnapped

It is understood the police investigation involved reconstructing the kidnapping scene and studying CCTV footage from the area

Her lawyer Francesco Pesce said: ‘She shed a tear, she was so brave.

‘It must have been terrifying to be alone in this house being locked up by strangers in the middle of nowhere. She was told she was going to be sold. It was scary.’

Speaking from the three-bedroom terraced home that she shares with her Polish mother Beata, Miss Ayling said it had been her first visit to Italy.

She said: ‘I’m incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release. I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven’t had time to collect my thoughts.

‘I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police.’

Italian police revealed that Herba allegedly tried to kidnap the same model in Paris in April, having organised a photoshoot at an address in the French capital, but the bid was apparently aborted.

During the same trip, Miss Ayling said she was in the Champs-Elysees when a police officer was shot dead by a terrorist.