GUJRAT, July 11: kidnappers have struck 10 times in the last four months charging a heavy ransom from the families of kidnapped people for their release. Four incidents of kidnap for ransom occurred in the last month.

Unidentified people abducted five-year-old Hasan, son of expatriate Nazir Mirza, from Lalamusa on June 17 and demanded a Rs10 million ransom for his release. Later, they released him for Rs5 million.

On June 18, Babar of Karimpura, Lalamusa, was kidnapped and his captors demanded Rs1 million for his release.

Two youths, Ashraf, of Chanu Bhoja, and Amjad, of Lalamusa, have been missing since the second week of June and their families fear they have been kidnapped for ransom. They have not received any call from their captors for ransom.

Even though, police killed three alleged captors in May in an ‘encounter’ but the four kidnappings show that the network of kidnappers is intact.

Earlier, seven people were kidnapped and released after paying ransom to their captors.

Supreme Court Superintendent Tariq Bashir was kidnapped on Feb 1, 2007, from Pind Aziz, Sarai Alamgir. He secured his release after paying Rs5 million ransom.

England-based Pir Ghulam Rasool was kidnapped from Head Jaggu on Feb 10 and was released after paying Rs3 million.

Sabir Mughal of Mirpur was kidnapped from Kotla Arab Ali Khan on March 5 and was released after his brother paid £240,000 to the captors in England.

Two cousins, Hasnain Asghar and Mushahid, of Chak Pirana, were kidnapped from Mandir in Kharian on March 13. Their captors demanded Rs10 million ransom for their release. Kharian Sadar police registered a case with no clue to the accused.

On May 6, in Bangial, Kotla Arab Ali Khan, expatriate Chaudhry Ihsan Jatt’s three-year-old son was kidnapped for a Rs5 million ransom.

Expatriate Lateef of Mandir, Kharian, was kidnapped and was released after paying Rs10 million. Police killed three captors — Nadeem of Dhonkal, Tariq of Gujrat and Rafiq of Lahore — in an “encounter” near Utam, Dinga on May 20 and seized the paid amount. Expatriate Arshad’s son Noman, 11, of Naee Abadi in Sarai Alamgir, was kidnapped for a Rs20 million ransom. Later he was released when his family paid Rs10 million to his captors.