The Afghan intelligence operatives busted one of the most dangerous kidnapping gangs in western Herat province of Afghanistan.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the gang consisted of 16 kidnappers and was led by Ghulam Farooq who is also famous as Abdul Ghafar.
A statement by NDS said the other leader of the gang has been identified as Lal Mohammad who is also famous as Zarif while the third leader of the gang has been identified as Taj Mir.
The statement further added that the gang was actively operating in Herat province in the past 8 months and had kidnapped at least 10 people.
The gang had demanded large ransoms from the families of the hostage for their release, NDS said, adding that three of the hostages have been identified as Abdul Wahab, Abdul Qadir and Nazir Ahmad who were killed by the gang.
NDS also added that the gang had established at least 8 cells in Herat province where they were keeping the hostages on temporary basis.
Kidnap for ransom cases still continue in parts of the country despite the Afghan intelligence nabbed two MAFIA bosses involved in major kidnappings who were later executed by the government.
The two top MAFIA leaders, Habib Istalif and Raees Khudaidad, were executed late in 2014 and early in 2015 after they were arrested by intelligence operatives.
The NDS operatives released a hostage during an operation conducted in central Wardak province of Afghanistan late in the month of February.
The operation was conducted as the kidnappers were demanding a huge ransom of $1 million from the family of the hostage, forcing the intelligence operatives to intervene and secure his release.
