khyber – An abducted local trader, Muhammad Zareef alias Landay, was safely recovered after 34 days from Sadu Khel village of Landi Kotal tehsil in Khyber district, District Police Officer (DPO) Khyber Waqar Ahmed said on Thursday.
Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Police Station, the DPO, accompanied by the SHO of Landi Kotal Police Station, announced the safe recovery of the trader and the arrest of three suspected kidnappers.
He said Haji Zareef had been abducted on August 7 from outside his newly built house.
Following the registration of an FIR, local police, in coordination with other relevant departments, launched an investigation into the case. The police soon traced the alleged main members of the kidnapping gang, identified as Haji Ahmed, Naveed, Tawab and Noor Kalam. However, the alleged ringleaders remained at large, he added.
The DPO said the police subsequently managed to locate the kidnapped trader through a second layer of the gang’s associates.
Acting on the information, a joint team of police and security agencies conducted a raid on a house in Sadu Khel at around 12:30am on Wednesday night and safely recovered the trader. Three suspected kidnappers — Fayaz, Khayal Badshah alias Gulono, and Umar Ali — were arrested during the operation. DPO Waqar Ahmed praised the SHO of Landi Kotal and other police and security personnel for their tireless efforts, saying their hard work had led to the successful recovery of the kidnapped trader.
Responding to a question, the DPO said the suspects would be brought to justice. He also appealed to the public to trust the police force, saying police personnel were committed to protecting the lives, property, and honour of the people.
Speaking on the occasion, the recovered trader, Haji Zareef, said he had remained in captivity for 34 days, during which he was deprived of food and subjected to severe torture. He said his relatives had initially blamed state institutions, whereas he had actually been abducted by a kidnapping gang.
He thanked the police and other security agencies for rescuing him from the kidnappers.
The relatives of the recovered trader also thanked the police and security agencies for their efforts.
Following the safe recovery of Haji Zareef, his relatives and supporters ended their protest sit-in, which had continued for several days on the Pak-Afghan Highway in Landi Kotal.
