RAWALPINDI, Sept 8: Local police busted a gang of kidnappers on Friday and freed their victim, Kamran, from his 24-day ordeal and arrested four members of the gang. Kamran, an estate agent in his 30s, had gone missing after he left his office in Gulraiz-II Chaklala on August 14 with four persons who wanted to rent a house.

Later a telephone call informed the family that he had been kidnapped and taken to NWFP and demanded a ransom of Rs20 million for freeing him.

District Police Chief Saud Aziz gave the task of finding the kidnapped man to DSP Rana Shahid and Inspector Ahmed Ali Jan with the instructions to try to reach to the criminals by monitoring their communication lines.

DSP Rana Shahid, who led Friday’s successful police operation, told Dawn that a stranger who volunteered to the family to mediate with the kidnappers was put under watch.

Shahid Pathan, the “sympathetic” stranger, used conference call system to communicate with the kidnappers giving the impression that Kamran was being kept in captivity in NWFP.

Finally the ransom was settled at Rs5 million and as he collected the initial payment of Rs600,000 on Friday, police nabbed him.

His interrogation revealed him to be the mastermind of the kidnapping and led the police to a rented house in Afzal Town where Kamran was being kept in chains.

Police arrested the four criminals who were guarding him and is hunting for three other members of the gang who reportedly hailed from Swat.

One of the kidnappers, identified as Daud Ibrahim, resisted the raiding police party but was overpowered by Inspector Ahmed Ali.

The culprits will be produced before the court on Saturday for physical remand.