Egyptian security forces announced returning a young boy to his family within 24 hours of his kidnap. After a video of the boy getting kidnapped in El Mahalla El Kubra in Egypt’s Gharbia governorate went viral on Monday August 30, Egyptian security forces announced arresting the kidnappers and returning Ziad home safely.

The video, which was captured on a surveillance camera, showed two masked men taking the child and forcing him into a car, while his mother attempted to stop them by trying to catch the car but fell on the road. The viral incident sparked outrage among Egyptian public opinion, with many parents expressing sympathy with Ziad’s parents.

In a statement on its official social media channels, Egypt’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) stated that three men in a car kidnapped the young boy who was with his mother next to their residence. Using advanced technology, tracing the movement of the kidnappers, and speaking to witnesses, the police discovered that the car they used was a stolen car, and hid the boy at a house in one of the agricultural areas in El Mahalla El Kubra.

Investigations also revealed that the kidnappers admitted that they knew the boy’s father’s occupation and assumed he was wealthy, which prompted them to kidnap the child to demand a ransom.

The MOI released a video showing footage of the arrest and stressing the importance of the safety of Egyptians.

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