Tourists kidnapped in Iran

Iranian officials have reportedly confirmed that three European tourists have been kidnapped in the country. The Guardian today reports that two Germans and an Irish citizen were on a cycling holiday in the Sistan-Baluchistan province when they were abducted. An official, whom the newspaper declines to name, reportedly said that the kidnap was financially, rather than politically, motivated. The newspaper states that the hostages were “apparently” taken by the same group that took four European tourists in 1999; on that occasion the hostages were released unharmed. The Guardian suggests that kidnapping is very rare in Iran, but that the Baluchistan region is notorious for its drug gangs, which are involved in heroin smuggling. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, at www.fco.gov.uk/travel, states that there is an increased risk if terrorism in Iran, but does not mention a kidnapping danger.