LAHORE, June 27: The Mozang police on Monday claimed to have recovered a nine-year-old girl, who was kidnapped for Rs3 million ransom a week ago, and arrested three suspects, including the girl's maternal uncle.

The chief suspect allegedly kidnapped the girl to mint money from his 'affluent' brother-in-law to overcome poverty.

Four people allegedly kidnapped Sajal Arif, of B-II, Defense Housing Authority, when she was buying grewia from a vendor in front of her maternal grandfather's house near Darbar Baba Chiragh Shah on Dilferoze Road on June 21.

The grewia vendor turned out to be the chief kidnapper and the girl's maternal uncle, Muhammad Afzal, who was selling fruit with a faked get-up. Afzal overpowered the girl and bundled her into a car and fled the scene along with his two accomplices.

Another kidnapper contacted the girl's mother Hina on her cell phone few hours after the kidnap and demanded Rs3 million ransom.

The police launched investigation by interviewing other vendors about the incident, seizing the cycle used by the vendor, and tracing the record of cell phone used by the kidnappers. The vendors informed the police about the physical appearance of the car used in the crime.

The investigators came to know at one of point of time that one of the suspects traced with help of International Mobile Equipment Identity and SIM record was present on Ghazi Road in Tajpura.

After reconnaissance of the area, two separate teams of Mozang and Mughalpura investigation police found a car (LWK-06-629) at Sayin Dentar Workshop in Tajpura whose appearance (model/colour) matched with the account given by witnesses. The police seized the vehicle and also recovered a wig, scotch tape, sleeping pills and other goods from it.

The police later knew that Afzal had rented the car from a shop on Approach Road in Tajpura Scheme on June 21.

The girl's father Syed Arif Shah informed the police that Afzal was husband of his wife's sister and belonged to a lower middleclass family.

The police raided Afzal's house and recovered Sajal, who was tied up with ropes. She was being given sleeping pills since she was kidnapped.

The police arrested Afzal and his accomplices identified as Shahbaz Ahmad and Muzamil Heera while raids are being conducted to arrest their fourth accomplice Muhammad Nawaz.

A police officer told Dawn that Afzal had planned to kidnap the girl to mint money from his well-off relative Arif. He said that Afzal had also requested Arif to lend him Rs3m sometimes ago but the latter had turned down the former's request. Afzal started nourishing grudge against Arif and later kidnapped the girl to avenge the rejection of his borrowing request.

Five faint: Five family members, including three women, fainted after consuming poisonous milk in a shop at Nunarian Chowk here on Monday.

Reports said Nazeer Ahmad, 60, Sughra Nazir, 55, Fauzia Jameel, 25, Naila Nazir, 15, and Noreen Asghar, 18, fell unconscious after taking milk.

Rescue 1122 personnel shifted the victims to Mayo Hospital.