Weinstein kidnappers’ facilitator rearrested

LAHORE:

CIA police on Thursday arrested Saifur Rehman, a suspect in Warren Weinstein’s kidnapping case, from Multan.

CIA officials said Rehman had been granted bail by an anti-terrorism court eight months ago. They said his name had been added to the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act but he left the city without informing the police.

Two Al-Qaeda operatives who were a part of the eight-member ring involved in Weinstein’s kidnapping have been arrested, police sources told The Express Tribune.

One of them took part in the kidnapping while the other acted as facilitator.

Rehman, the facilitator, when questioned earlier had told investigators that he had rented a room in Dogar Plaza near the Tokhar Niaz Baig, where the kidnappers had stayed for three days (August 11 to 13). Rehman said he had only arranged accommodation for them.

CIA sources said they had unearthed new evidence and now believed that Rehman had misled investigators.

They said his brother Imran had had a pivotal role in the kidnapping.

Warren Weinstein, 71, was abducted from his residence in Model Town on August 13, 2011. He had been the country director for JE Austin Associates, a US-based consultancy firm which works with the US Agency for International Development.

The six suspects identified by the police are Saifur Rehman son of Muhammad Ramazan from Pakpattan, Hafiz Muhammad Imran alias Abbas from Wazirabad district, Imran Rehman and Afzaal Hussain from Samundri in Faisalabad district, an operational commander who physically led the operation and Aymen al Zawahiri, the Al Qaeda chief and mastermind of the kidnapping.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2013.