American citizen on 14 day judicial remand, faces deportation
June 11, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The US national arrested from Islamabad on Friday was sent to jail on judicial remand of 14 days while he was likely to be deported to his home country in a few days.
Mathew Craig Barrett, 27, who was allegedly spying on nuclear facilities in and around Islamabad, had been arrested from Islamabad’s sector E-11 by the capital territory police on Friday on the directions of Ministry of Interior.
Interior Ministry had written a letter to the Additional Inspector General (Special Branch) Islamabad to trace the whereabouts of Barrett in Federal Capital after he had escaped from Fateh Jang last month following a scuffle with the security agencies official there.
Barrett had then been ‘blacklisted’ by the Ministry of Interior, which then proceeded to cancel his visa last month, sources told The Express Tribune.
He was produced before the court on Saturday which sent him to jail. Police said arrangements were being made to deport him to United States at the earliest. Till the completion of his remand or arrangements for his deportation, Barrett will remain in Adiyala jail in Rawalpindi.
Sources within the police said that Interior Ministry had sent a letter to the Additional Inspector General (Special Branch) Islamabad to trace the whereabouts of Barrett in federal capital after he had escaped from Fateh Jang last month following a scuffle with the security officials there.
‘He had scuffled with security officials on the most outer cordon of the nuclear facilities after he was captured from the surrounding the area” a police official who wished to remain anonymous. “Later, a case was also registered against him at the Fateh Jhang police, however, he had dodged arrest” said the official.
After the AIG informed that he was living with his family in sector E-11, the ministry further directed the police to arrest Barrett whose Multiple Business Entry Visa, which was otherwise valid till 2 November 2011, had been cancelled on 20 May 2011 as he had been blacklisted for his suspicious activities.
The ministry directed the Islamabad police to deport Barrett before June 4, 2011. However, the police failed to arrest him before this date.
His visa (VF 885592) was cancelled after his passport bearing number 472409890 had been confiscated by the relevant authorities for processing his deportation through immigration cell of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), police said.
Security agencies had been on the trail of Barrett for a long time following his visits to sensitive installations including nuclear facilities at Jhang Bahtar near Fateh Jang and other suspicious activities.
He had married a Pakistani from Islamabad, Benosha Khan Barrett three and half years ago. The couple had two children Michael Junaid Barrett and Maria Rose Barrett. Earlier, the couple had been living with the girl’s parent in sector G-8/1. Later, the Barrett family re-located to sector E-11.
Security agencies went on to disclose that both, Barrett and his wife, had not identified a source of income, yet they had been living in a relatively posh area. ‘He had refused to disclose his business to the officials of security branch after his arrest’ said an official of the police.
Born on 4 June 1984, Barrett was a resident of the State of Alabama in US, and told officials of the special branch that he had no close relatives alive in his home country. He insisted that he was ‘enjoying his married life peacefully in Pakistan without ever indulging in any unlawful activity’ said security officials.
As Barrett was arrested, said that he had done nothing wrong and was being made a victim of frustration among Pakistani security forces following strained ties between Pakistan and America.
Police said neither his family or his in-laws resist his arrest, however, his father-in-law, who was a lawyer, later went to Ministry of Interior and caused an uproar over Barrett’s arrest. He maintained that his son-in-law’s arrest was unlawful as his valid visa could not be cancelled.
Since his name had been blacklisted, Barrett would never be able to return to Pakistan on any visa once deported.
American citizen on 14 day judicial remand, faces deportation – The Express Tribune