PESHAWAR: Police claimed on Monday to have arrested the head of a kidnappers’ gang during a raid at a house on Dalazak Road in the Peshawar city.

DSP Sahibzada Sajjad Khan told reporters that the police had already recovered the businessman kidnapped in the case for ransom. He added that three members of the gang had still been absconding and the police were making efforts to arrest them.

He said that the kidnappers had demanded millions of rupees for release of the businessman, but the credit went to police that managed to get a clue and arrested three kidnapers sometimes back.

The police official said the businessman, Syed Zia-ul-Hassan of Hango had been dealing in electric stabilizers in Lahore and Rawalpindi and used to visit Peshawar for business purposes. He was kidnapped on Nov 29, 2013.

The DSP said that police also recovered a 30-bore pistol from the possession of the kingpin of kidnappers and that efforts were in progress to arrest the rest of gang members.

Similarly, the official said that a car snatcher identified as Jawad of Kotwali area of Peshawar was also arrested and four motorcycles were recovered from his possession. The accused, he said had also admitted to his involvement in lifting several cars from different areas of the provincial metropolis.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014