Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the American Consulate on Sunday visited the house of American aid expert Warren Weinstein, who was kidnapped from his house in Model Town on Saturday.
Well-placed police sources said the FBI officials collected circumstantial evidence including fingerprints, footprints and also recorded statements of the arrested guards and driver of Weinstein. Sources said further that forensic experts also accompanied the FBI team. However, Model Town Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Khurram said officials of the American Consulate’s legal branch visited the crime scene but no one from FBI was with them.
He said they had gathered all circumstantial evidence, adding that fingerprints of kidnappers had been sent to the forensic lab in Islamabad after which they would be tallied with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) records. He said they were initially trying to figure out reasons behind Weinstein’s kidnapping, adding that he had never received any threats prior to his kidnapping.
Khurram said all security guards of Weinstein had served as SSG commandos in the Pakistan Army, adding that one of them was from Swabi, one was from Mohmand Agency while the others belonged to various districts of Punjab. An investigation officer told Pakistan Today that kidnappers were young, Urdu-speaking and appeared educated, adding that some kidnappers had covered faces while the others had not bothered to hide their identity.
He said police were also thoroughly interrogating the security guards. Another source close to the investigation team said the kidnappers communicated with Weinstein in English. The guards told police that the kidnappers tied them, took away their SIM cards and smacked a pistol-whipped Weinstein’s before taking him with them, he said. CIA SP Umer Virk said they were working on the case but had yet to find a clue.
He said no FBI official had yet visited the crime scene. He said further that Weinstein’s neighbours had no idea that he had been living in Model Town. Virk said his neighbours thought Weinstein’s house was some NGO’s office and had rarely seen a foreigner in the area.