Abu Dhabi: The team tasked with freeing an Emirati businessman who was kidnapped in Nigeria succeeded in the operation thanks to the cooperation of all involved parties and close follow up of UAE leadership, said a Ministry of Interior official.
Major General Abdul Aziz Maktoum Al Sharafi, Director General of Federal Preventive Security and Investigation at the ministry, said that the operation to free the Emirati businessman, Mohammad Khamis Majid, was called ‘The Prince', closely resembling the name of the leader of the gang that carried out the kidnapping.
"Investigations helped us identify and arrest the leader. The team set up by the ministry was also able to arrest some of the gang members, and after carrying out the necessary investigation procedures, they were referred to the law," said Al Sharafi.
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"Preliminary investigations also contributed to freeing and ensuring the safety of Mohammad Khamis," he added.
Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, who on Wednesday received Mohammad Khamis who had been taken hostage on a two-day business trip in January, thanked Mohammad Khamis's family members for their cooperation with the MoI's teams and keeping the operation confidential until the last moment.
Al Sharafi urged businessmen not to comply with uncertified investment invitations, especially abroad the UAE and in unstable areas. He also called on them to report any such incidents that arouse suspicion.
