A five-year-old boy British boy kidnapped in Pakistan was reunited with his father today, after his family paid a £110,000 ransom.
Sahil Saeed was released on Tuesday after being kidnapped at gunpoint in Pakistan two weeks ago.
He was reunited with members of his family, including his father, at the home of the British High Commissioner today.
A spokesman for the commission said: “Everyone was in very good spirits and of course delighted about his return.
“Sahil was playing football with his father in the garden and seemed really happy.”
Last night details emerged about the abduction and the police investigation, which involved Pakistani, UK, French and Spanish officers.
Spanish police said Sahil’s father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, went to Paris to pay a £110,000 ransom for his release.
Surveillance officers watched him make the transfer, saw the recipients divide up the cash, and later swooped on a number of suspects, according to a police statement.
After the youngster was freed, three people — two Pakistani men and a Romanian woman — were arrested when police raided a flat in Constanti, around 60 miles from Barcelona. About £105,000 in cash was also recovered.
Two of the suspects were followed from Paris, and all three are due to appear in court in Spain today.
Two other people, accused of helping the kidnappers, were also arrested in the French capital.
A £100,000 ransom demand for Sahil’s safe return emerged shortly after the boy was taken.
Interpol alerted Spanish authorities to the abduction and discovered the first call demanding a ransom was made from Spain. A series of other calls were made from the country.
Mr Saeed (28) returned to Manchester four days after the abduction as instructed by the kidnappers, but was then told to go to Paris with the money.
Police were watching when the cash was handed over on a street in the French capital and began monitoring the suspects as they waited for news of the child’s release, Spanish police said.
PA