Westerners’ Kidnappers Demand $6 Million
Drug smugglers have demanded $6 million in ransom for three tourists they kidnapped in southeastern Iran, officials said.
The tourists -- two Germans and one Irish national -- were abducted Monday while cycling in a region known as a major drug-smuggling route. The kidnappers were smugglers whose rackets had been hit hard by security forces during the last year, said Gholam Reza Javdan, head of security in Sistan-Baluchistan province.
Security forces have launched an extensive operation to catch the kidnappers and free the hostages, he said.
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