The kidnapped child, Fawaz al-Qataifan, 8 years old, was released three months and ten days after he was kidnapped from Ibtaa town in Daraa countryside by a gang that demanded a ransom
“With continuous follow-up and in coordination with the Criminal Security Department and Interpol, the international number through which the kidnappers communicated with the child’s family was monitored,” Daraa Governorate Police Commander, Brigadier Dirar al-Dandal said
Al-Dandal added “The people associated with the phone number were identified. Four days ago, we raided the village of al-Katibah near Khirbet Ghazala in Daraa countryside, and 4 people were arrested, including the main person whose number was linked to the kidnappers’ number”
He continued “The kidnappers cut off their communication for a whole day after arresting this person, in anticipation of any confessions from him, and since we did not say what he confessed, they called the child’s family again and agreed on a date for his release and delivery of the ransom on Wednesday, but they did not comply”
“The kidnappers contacted the child’s uncle on Friday and gave him a new appointment on Daraa-Damascus highway towards the town of Nassib at five o’clock in the evening and asked the child’s father, not his uncle, to come and to send them a picture of the car he would be traveling in. We, in turn, circulated the image of the car to our personnel, which spread in a hidden way in the area, but the kidnappers broke the appointment again,” Dandal said
The police commander noted that the kidnappers contacted the child’s family again on Saturday at noon, and demanded that the father go to the city of Nawa, and they identified an area near the grain silos on the road towards Quneitra, where armed groups are deployed. With the arrival of the child’s father and mother to the area and the sum of money with them, the kidnappers released the child
Al-Dandal pointed out that the police did not interfere with the aim of preserving the child’s life after the kidnappers threatened to kill him
In turn, Mohammad al-Qataifan, Fawaz’s father, expressed his great joy at the liberation of his child and his return to the warm embrace of his family in good health, expressing his thanks to everyone who felt the family’s suffering and for the police command and its personnel who did everything they could day and night to liberate him
For his part, Musab al-Qataifan, the child’s uncle, expressed his happiness at Fawaz’s return to his family and thanked everyone who contributed to this, whether by word or position, hailing the efforts made by the security authorities, especially the Police Command and Criminal Security Department
“We hope that our country will remain safe and peaceful under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, and we thank him for his great interest in the issue,” Musab al-Qataifan said