Rs 100 mln ransom plot foiled: ICT police rescue 12-year-old boy, arrest three

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (APP): Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police foiled an alleged Rs.100 million kidnapping-for-ransom plot, safely recovering a 12-year-old boy abducted from Abbottabad after Tarnol Police spotted the frightened child in the back seat of a vehicle during checking and arrested three suspects, including his cousin.

An official told APP on Thursday that the rescued child, Abdullah Ibrahim, had allegedly been kidnapped from Abbottabad for a ransom of Rs100 million.

The arrested suspects were identified as Muhammad Owais, Muhammad Niaz and Ali Ahmed. Police said Owais, the main accused, was a cousin of the kidnapped boy.

Senior Superintendent of Police Operations (SSP), Qazi Ali Raza said Tarnol Police became suspicious during routine checking after noticing the 12-year-old sitting in a frightened condition on the back seat of the vehicle.

Police questioned the occupants and took the child into confidence, after which he told officers that he had been kidnapped from Abbottabad and was being taken away by the suspects.

The police immediately took Abdullah into protective custody and arrested all three suspects.

According to Qazi, the main accused, Muhammad Owais, was allegedly demanding Rs 100 million ransom from the boy’s father for his release.

The SSP Operations said effective checking, professional policing and timely response by Tarnol Police helped foil the serious kidnapping-for-ransom attempt and ensured the child’s safe recovery.

The boy was safely reunited with his family, who expressed relief over the recovery of their son and thanked Islamabad Police for the timely action.

Qazi told APP protecting the lives and property of citizens remained a top priority of Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT), adding that effective policing and vigilance would continue against criminal elements.