An Italian man remained missing in Costa Rica on Monday and authorities are releasing few details in the strange case of the man’s disappearance and suspected kidnapping from the parking lot of a Walmart in San Francisco de Heredia on Saturday.

The case began around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday when a witness alerted authorities to what seemed to be a “kidnapping” of a man by five uniformed police officers in a police vehicle. According to the eyewitness, the officers intercepted the man in the Walmart parking lot, quickly rushed him to a police vehicle, and sped off – leaving the man’s vehicle abandoned with its doors wide open.

Less than an hour later, the five police officers were themselves intercepted by special agents of the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) in Paseo Colon who were alerted to the situation by police commanders. The officers were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, but the Italian man was nowhere to be found.

Upon their arrest, agents seized the officers’ cellular telephones and investigators questioned the officers.

However, under Costa Rica law authorities were forced to release the officers Monday morning because investigators were unable to produce sufficient evidence of any crime having taken place, no one has stepped forward to file a missing persons’ report, and the victim cannot be located.

The officers were released without precautionary measures despite the fact that they remain suspects in the man’s disappearance, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MSP), which has so far released scant details of the investigation.

Meanwhile, a report that has not been independently substantiated by The Costa Rica Star indicates that the officers’ patrol vehicle was captured at or near the scene on surveillance video, and an OIJ spokesperson indicated that investigators were able to place the officers near the scene at the time of the man’s disappearance.

The officers apparently denied any knowledge regarding the man’s disappearance when questioned by investigators.

Both the police vehicle and the vehicle of the missing man are being held as evidence in the case, according to an OIJ spokesperson.

Following the arrest of the officers, Carlos Hidalgo, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) said on Saturday said that the country maintains “zero tolerance for corruption” and that the case would be thoroughly investigated.

On Monday, Security Minister Gustavo Mata told AmPrensa.com that the five officers – identified by the surnames Navarro, Vargas Rodriguez, Espinoza and Matarrita, would be fired under legal provisions for the “loss of confidence” of public officials, but said that the firing of the officers does not necessarily indicate they have committed a crime.

A public records search of the abandoned vehicle’s license plate number conducted by The Costa Rica Star indicates that the vehicle is registered to an Italian national by the name Albino Portoghese.