KUWAIT: Local businessman Khaled Abdulrazzaq Al Sarhan was reportedly kidnapped in Iraq while on a business trip. The 53-year-old Kuwaiti reportedly traveled from Kuwait two weeks ago to Nassiriyah in Iraq where he intended to buy sheep. Brother Abdulatif told Al-Rai newspaper that Al Sarhan was due to return a week ago Wednesday but delayed due to the business.
Then on Sunday, the man’s wife received a phone call from someone with an Iraqi accent saying that they had her husband and requesting $1 million for his safe return. “The man called again on Tuesday and threatened that my brother would be killed if we failed to pay the ransom,” Abdul Lateef told Al Rai.
Both the Interior and Foreign Ministries have been informed and are in contact with Iraqi authorities to investigate the matter. “I myself called the Kuwaiti charge d’affaires in Baghdad Khalid Al Qanai and he confirmed there were contacts with the Iraqi interior and foreign ministries to try to locate and rescue my brother,” he said.
Kidnapping of wealthy Khaleeji visitors is common in Iraq, especially in the southern areas of the country. Last December a Qatari hunting party with several ruling family members was kidnapped for ransom in southern Iraq.
