Three arrested in link to boy’s kidnap to appear in court

Thursday, March 18, 2010

THREE people arrested in Spain in connection with the kidnap of a five-year- old boy in Pakistan will appear in court today.

Sahil Saeed, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was on holiday with his father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, 28, in the Punjab region when he was snatched by gunmen.

Two Pakistani men and a Romanian woman were arrested near Tarragona in north-east Spain in connection with the case on Tuesday.

An official with the Superior Court of Catalonia said all three will appear before a judge today.

The youngster was found wandering in a field, alone but unharmed, and was handed over to Pakistani police.

Rana Sanaullah, the Punjab law minister, said he believed a ransom demand of £100,000 (€110,000) was paid by Sahil’s father and told a local TV station the money had been paid "not in Britain, but in another country".

"We are trying to bust this gang with the help of other countries," he said.

It is thought his father is flying to Pakistan to collect his son, who was held captive for 12 days.

His mother, Akila Naqqash, 31, said: "I need to see him with my own eyes to believe it. The police are looking after him.

"He will fly back but we don’t know when yet."

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, March 18, 2010