KARACHI, Dec 22: Police, with the help of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee, recovered on Sunday a 19-year-old boy who had been kidnapped for ransom.

At a press conference at the Investigation Office, Saddar, (Old CIA Centre), SSP Homicide Manzoor Mughal said Mohammed Abid was kidnapped at Green Town bus stop on Dec 19 by Rafiq and Ghaffar. They kept him confined in a house at Bilal Colony. Mohammed Hanif, Abid’s father, who worked with Pakistan International Airlines, was then in Faisalabad. His wife informed him about the disappearance of their son. He returned to Karachi and lodged a complaint at the area police station.

Mr Mughal said the kidnappers contacted Abid’s father on Dec 20 and demanded Rs1.2 million ransom for his son’s release. After negotiations with the kidnappers a deal was finally struck at Rs20,000. The kidnappers asked Hanif, the hostage’s father, to reach Regal Chowk in Saddar where a well-built man would receive the ransom amount.

Personnel of the CPLC and policemen in plain clothes were deployed at the designated place.

As the man approached Hanif, police grabbed him. Following investigations, the man, identified as Ghaffar, helped police and the CPLC to raid a house in Bilal Colony, Korangi, where they recovered Abid, who was kept in chains.

The police team, headed by DSP Gul Hameed Sommon, also arrested another suspect, Rafiq, from there.

Abid told reporters that Rafiq was his acquaintance and he met him at the bus stop when he (Abid) was going to college to appear in a practical examination of First Year (Science). Rafiq took him in a yellow cab. Ghaffar was with them. Rafiq and Ghaffar took him to a house in Bilal Colony where they kept him in chains.

Hanif thanked police and the CPLC for the recovery of his son.

Besides police officials, the chief of the CPLC Malir, Sharfuddin Memon, was also present at the press conference.