Kidnappers arrested: Seven-year-old’s body found

Child dies on the day of kidnapping due to overdose of an intoxicant

SWAT/ PESHAWAR:

 The counter-terrorism department (CTD) raided a house in Mohalla Ghufran Habib in the city on Wednesday where seven-year-old Haris’ body was found. The child was kidnapped on July 17.

CTD got a promising lead on a gang of kidnappers after arresting a man considered to be one of its most prominent leaders, Hasib. He was allegedly involved in abducting the seven-year-old boy. The kidnappers were demanding Rs5 million as ransom. Investigation revealed the child died on the day of the kidnapping due to overdose of an intoxicant. His body was found in a gunnysack the same day.

Haris had disappeared on July 17. Later in the day, his father, who is a wholesale dealer, received a call from an Afghan number, in which the kidnappers demanded Rs5 million for Haris’ release. Upon investigation, CTD found and nabbed one of the alleged kidnappers Hasib, who led the police to the house where the boy had been held and provided information about the other gang members.

Separately, officials of the counter-terrorism department (CTD) arrested an alleged kidnapper Zafar, a resident of Kanju, Swat, and recovered an abducted boy Tafal Azain Alam from his custody.

A press release issued by CTD Malakand on Wednesday stated three-year-old Alam was kidnapped from outside his grandfather’s house in Kanju, Swat. The alleged kidnapper demanded Rs1.2 million from the family for the release of the minor.

Later, CTD and police officials traced the kidnapper in a joint investigation and arrested him from the mountainous areas of Sham Baba in Swat and recovered the child. CTD officials registered a case against the culprit according to the terrorism act and shifted him to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2015.