Three face court over boy's kidnap (From Western Telegraph)

Three face court over boy's kidnap

3:26pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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

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 on Thursday.

The youngster was found by locals wandering in a field on Tuesday, 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 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.

The youngster's return is being organised by the British High Commission in Islamabad. 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, spoke of her joy after hearing that her boy was safe.

Speaking from the family home, she said: "I need to see him with my own eyes to believe it. The police are looking after him. We are just watching the news. We are not travelling out there. He will fly back but we don't know when yet."