HYDERABAD, Sep 17: Pro-vincial Police Officer (PPO) Ziaul Islam on Monday directed anti-violent crime cell (AVCC) to assist Hyderabad police in the investigation of the kidnapping of three-day baby girl, Dua, after Hyderabad police lodged a complaint that Karachi police were not cooperating with them.

A police source claimed that they had information that the baby was alive and in possession of one Amna Odh in Karachi.

Baby Dua was born to Nadeem and Feroza on Aug 16. She was kidnapped on Aug 19 from the hospital by Safia, who had stayed there for almost two days before she disappeared with the baby.

Reports said that Hyderabad police had been in Karachi for the investigation of the case along with two women including sister of a woman, Amna, who was believed to be in possession of the baby nowadays. The other two women accused were Karima and Jamila Oad, Amna’s sister, the source said.

The PPO received a complaint that Hyderabad police needed cooperation of their Karachi counterparts in tracing the woman, Amna Oad, who they believed had the baby. The PPO was informed that Hyderabad’s police team did not know the exact location of the area and the possible response of the people of the locality if they raided it.For instance, the source said, Hyderabad police went inside Al-Asif Square, which was dominated by Pukhtun community in Sohrab Goth where a jirga style system was followed and even Karachi police found it hard to intervene there directly in any matter. Subsequently, Hyderabad police had to return.

Reports said that Hyderabad police had identified four places being used by Amna in Karachi but she was not available at any place. Her husband Rafiq Bengali, the source said, was connected with a racket involving smuggling of children.

Police got a clue about Amna following Safia’s statement, who had in fact kidnapped the baby from the hospital and was now in police custody. She had disclosed that she had sold the baby to Amna for Rs15,000.

Source said that a Pandora’s Box would open up after the investigation as more facts about the children’s smuggling racket were coming to the fore.

The PPO directed the SP of AVCC Farooq Awan to ensure that his cell offered every possible assistance to Hyderabad police in tracking down the woman.

Shortly afterwards, AVCC and Hyderabad police officials met with each other and exchanged their notes and telephone numbers. A DSP of the cell had been assigned the job to keep in touch with the Hyderabad team till the investigation had been completed.

Police, meanwhile, have asked the EDO of health to install close circuit TV cameras in Bhittai Hospital’s paediatrics ward from where the baby was kidnapped.

A number of persons including Safia, her sister Kausar, their husbands, Javed Iqbal, Nasir Abbas, chowkidar of hospital, Nasir and Sharif, the husband of a woman, Bano Parveen, who had a bed adjacent to Feroza’s had been arrested by police.