Pak police detain several suspects over kidnapping of UNHCR official

Quetta, Feb 3 (ANI): Quetta police has detained several suspects in a bid to track down the whereabouts of a senior official of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

John Solecki, head of the UNHCR in the southwestern city of Quetta, was abducted by unidentified gunmen who killed his driver and took him away to an unknown location, said police and UN officials.

"We have picked up several suspects in connection with the probe. These people are detained for questioning, although we still have no direct lead on the kidnapped official," The news quoted a senior security official, as saying.

"So far there has been no claim of responsibility. We have intensified police patrolling. Security has been intensified along the Afghan border to ensure the official has not slipped through the border into Afghanistan," he said.

"It is still not clear whether the kidnapping is the work of a criminal gang or Taliban insurgents," the official added, who is involved in the investigation, but requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak. (ANI)