Freedom hope for Sahil

Six arrests in kidnap probe

PAKISTANI police are confident snatched Shaw boy Sahil Saeed will be freed within 24 hours.

Six men have been taken in for questioning and mobile phones stolen by the kidnappers are being analysed.

Police have not yet ruled out the possibility of an inside job set up by a member of the family.

Speaking outside the family home in Queen Street this morning, was Oldham West and Royton MP Phil Woolas.

The Immigration Minister said: “The reason for optimism from police is they’ve got leads and have made arrests. They know which gang they are after.”

Mr Woolas said there had been kidnappings in the area before but did not believe this incident was connected to terrorism.

He added: “There is no information whatsoever that this is related to terrorist funding. Hopefully, this is a one-off, there is no reason to think it’s a pattern, but we may have to review travel advice when it is all over.”

Five-year-old Sahil was taken from his grandmother’s house in the Punjab region yesterday by men wielding guns and grenades. Attackers subjected the family to a six-hour ordeal.

The gang, which struck as Sahil’s father, Raja Naqqash Saeed, was loading suitcases into a taxi ready for their flight back to Manchester, demanded a £100,000 ransom for the boy’s safe return. The taxi driver has been detained by police and is currently being questioned.

Police believe the kidnappers have since used four of the family’s stolen mobile phones to contact associates. Call records are now being analysed in a bid to pin-point their location.

Former Oldham Mayor and family friend Riaz Ahmad visited Sahil’s grandfather yesterday. He said his relatives are still anxiously waiting for news.

Mr Ahmad added: “The deadline set by the kidnappers came and went. We have heard nothing. Everyone is bearing up OK but we are praying this ordeal will soon be over.”