Model Luciana Curtis was kept in shack with snakes and scorpions after Brazil kidnapping, it has emerged

The criminals who abducted Luciana Curtis and her family are yet to be caught, with the authorities saying they will be charged with kidnapping, extortion and robbery after they are identified and arrested.

Curtis, who is reportedly based in New York, was held with her husband Henrique, 53, and their 11-year-old daughter for 12 hours after the crooks stole their car and forced them to make bank transfers on Wednesday, November 27.

This video shows police investigating the shack where they were held before their captors released them and the family walked until they reached help. The shack, in a wooded area, has holes in its roof, a muddy floor and is strewn with rubbish. The victims were kept alongside snakes and scorpions during their captivity, according to local media.

They were also threatened with firearms, according to the Civil Police.

The 47-year-old model, who was born in Sao Paulo to a Brazilian mother and an English father, has appeared in adverts for Harrods, H&M, Victoria's Secret, L'Oreal, and Revlon.

Her father is reportedly insurance broker Malcolm Leo Curtis and her mother is art and modern history professor Katia Maria Furtado de Mendonca Curtis. She and photographer Henrique Gendre have been married for 22 years, and have two daughters.

The authorities are now investigating if the charred vehicle they found in the Vila Penteado region of Sao Paulo was the car stolen from Luciana and her husband.

No arrests had been made at the time of writing.

Story: NewsX