A Japanese couple were kidnapped in Venezuela on Sunday and the husband was killed in a subsequent shootout between police and the kidnappers, local reports said Tuesday.

The Japanese Embassy in Caracas said it is currently trying to confirm the reports.

The man, 67, and his wife, 60, were snatched by four kidnappers near their home in San Cristobal, according to the reports.

On Monday, police raided the location where the couple had been confined, but the kidnappers escaped, taking the wife with them, they said.

The reports said the man had obtained Venezuelan citizenship while his wife held Japanese citizenship.