LAHORE: The Crime Investigation Agency, with the help of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, recovered a child kidnapped for ransom from Bannu, arresting three men allegedly involved in the crime.

Four-and-a-half years old Muhammad Ibrahim of Gulburg was kidnapped more than four months ago from a private educational institute. His family lodged a case with Gulburg police station against unidentified kidnappers.

CIA police Inspector Sharjeel Zia told Dawn on Monday the suspects had demanded Rs30 million from family as ransom for releasing the child.

He said police with the help of modern techniques of investigation traced the kidnappers’ whereabouts and arrested Usman, Shahbaz from Lahore and Imran Khan from Bannu (KP).

He said Usman and Shahbaz, who were employed as drivers by the child’s family, planned the kidnapping with the help of Shahbaz’s father Rafique, of Faisalabad.

He said according to their plan, Usman who would pick the child from a tuition center daily, took the child to Bannu and left him at the house of Imran Khan, a friend of Rafique. He did not return to his employers since.

Mr Zia said the other suspect, Shahbaz, continued to live with the victim family and would provide information to his accomplices about the efforts being made for the child’s recovery.

The police, after monitoring the kidnappers’ calls, arrested Shahbaz, who confessed to his involvement in the crime, he added.

Following the arrest, the inspector said, a police team was dispatched to KP and with the help of local police a raid was conducted on Imran’s house in Bannu from where the child was recovered. The police also arrested Imran Khan.

He said the police then arrested Usman from Lahore and were conducting raids to arrest Shabaz’s father Rafique. — Reporter

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2015

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