Snatched in broad daylight

This is the terrifying moment a man was snatched off the street in front of dozens of lunchtime shoppers.

He tried desperately to cling on to a bus stop but was overpowered and thrown into the back of a van.

Witnesses called 999 on their mobile phones as they saw five men leap out of the van and surround their victim.

The abduction took place last Wednesday at about 1pm in Camden Road, yards from Camden Tube station.

Police went to the scene and carried out an extensive search of the area but found nothing.

Today Scotland Yard released CCTV images of the incident in an effort to trace the white van, amid growing fears the abduction is linked to organised crime. The vehicle, a white Peugeot Boxer, registration number VRM GA 397 BK, is registered to a keeper in Slovakia.

Detectives are liaising with the Slovakian authorities in an attempt to trace the owner.

The vehicle entered Britain on 1 March although there is no record of it leaving.

One possibility is that the victim had been smuggled into Britain illegally and was abducted after failing to pay the trafficking gang his fare.

Witnesses say the van pulled up to a bus stop on Camden Road, east of the Tube station, where the gang got out and forced the man off the street and into the vehicle.

The victim, who was wearing a blue hat and black jacket, fought to resist by hanging on to the bus stop.

A Yard spokesman said: "He was seen to struggle with his abductors but at no point did he cry out for help."

Police have ruled out a kidnapping because no ransom demand has been made.

They are treating the matter as an abduction even though noone has been reported missing.

Detective Sergeant David Brown, who is leading the investigation, said: "There could be 101 reasons why this happened. Most importantly we want to hear from the victim, whether a crime has been committed against him or not.

"It is unusual for a man to be dragged off the street by five other men. The likelihood is he was known to at least one of the men inside the van, if not all of them. These sort of attacks are not usually carried out on complete strangers.

"We have spoken to witnesses but they cannot really tell us any more than what the pictures show.

"We are appealing for assistance from anybody who may have seen this van and know where it is.

"Someone may remember seeing it parked somewhere or associate it with an address. "

Police are also examining more sinister theories connected to drug trafficking though they have not ruled out the possibility the abduction was a harmless prank.

Anyone with information should call Holborn CID on 020 8733 6579 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.