Kidnapped baby recovered within 24 hours in Mardan

MARDAN: District police have recovered a six-month-old baby, who had been picked by a relative and handed over to another man for adoption on the pretext that his mother had died.

A spokesman for Mardan Police said that one Muhammad Abbas, a resident of Baghdada area of the district, hatched a strange plan to earn money: he picked his six-month old cousin and handed it over to a man to receive money in exchange.

As per the police report, Abbas told the man named Jahangir Khan that the child’s mother had died and hence he (Jahangir) could adopt him. The man also paid Rs40,000 to Abbas.

During an investigation launched by Mardan Police on the complaint of the child’s father Sabirud Din, the baby was recovered within 24 hours after the kidnapping.

“The cops included several suspects including the complainant’s nephew Abbas in the inquiry and Abbas later confessed during the process that he had picked the child and he along with another accomplice handed the minor over to Jahangir telling him that the mother of the baby had died while also receiving money from him,” said DPO Dr Zahidullah Khan.

Dr Zahid said that Rs40,000 cash was also recovered by the cops.

Meanwhile, the district police also arrested 12 proclaimed offenders and 13 drug pushers during raids on Thursday.

During the raids, the cops also recovered 16 pistols, three Kalashnikovs, three Kalakovs, and three rifles. The teams also arrested 13 drug smugglers and recovered 9.5kg charas, 40 grams crystal meth (ice drug) and 6 litres of liquor.