'Mystery third man spotted in car' hired by two missing London travel agents feared dead in Sweden

Police are reportedly looking for a third man thought to have travelled in a car with two missing Londoners feared to have been found dead inside the burnt-out vehicle in Sweden .

Juan Cifuentes and Farooq Abdulrazak were reported missing after they failed to return from a business trip to Scandinavia.

The friends, both travel agents said to be from Finchley in north London, were reported to have gunshot wounds and to have been found inside a car they hired on the Fosie industrial estate in the coastal city of Malmö on Sunday. Police have yet to confirm the identities of the dead men.

Welwyn Garden City FC paid tribute to Mr Cifuentes, who used to play for the team, calling him a “great person”.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, a club spokesperson said: “Everyone at the club is saddened and shocked by the news yesterday of the passing of Juan Cifuentes.

“Juan was part of our double-winning squad in 2014-15. A very good player and great person.

“We send our condolences to all his family, friends and ex-teammates. RIP Juan.”

Laura Cifuentes, the sister of Mr Cifuentes, told The Sun newspaper on Wednesday that there’s “probably (a) 99% chance” that the bodies are her brother and Mr Abdulrazak.

But she said: “There’s no confirmation. There’s no confirmation that they’ve been shot. The bodies are still being identified.

“They were meant to return home and it was meant to be a short business trip.”

The men reportedly ran a travel company, Empire Holidays.

A post on a Facebook page for Empire Holidays on Thursday read: “It is very difficult to say this, but it is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the owner of Empire Holidays (Farooq) has sadly passed away.”

It added: “Please keep Farooq & Juan in your duas and may they reach the highest level of Jannah. Ameen.”

Local media reported that police were searching for a third person who appeared to be in the rented Toyota RAV4.

Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan reported the vehicle crossed the Öresund Bridge from Denmark, with cameras on the bridge appearing to show three people in the car.

Friends of the two men have raised fears the incident could be a carjacking. One told MailOnline: “From what I've heard from the families, Swedish police are looking into whether there was an incident just as they crossed the border from Denmark.

“There seems to have been an attack on the car, a carjacking gone wrong and potential robbery.”

The Britons are thought to have flown to Denmark on Sunday and rented the car at Copenhagen Kastrup airport before driving to Sweden.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “We continue to liaise with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to establish if the deaths of the two men in Malmo , Sweden, are related to two men reported missing in north London on July 15.”

Swedish police have confirmed an investigation, but have declined to reveal more details about their probe.

Spokesperson for the Swedish police Kerstin Gossé said: "So far, we are keeping tight and restrained so that the preliminary investigation can have its way.

“We have to keep everything open. There is nothing that I can speculate on this early in the investigation.

“We [will] cooperate with foreign police to the extent we need to progress in the investigation.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of two British men reported missing in Sweden and are in touch with the local authorities.”

Football club pays tribute to ex-player feared murdered with friend in Sweden

Pictured: Two men from London feared dead in burned-out car in Sweden

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