Pakistan arrests 3 US embassy employees

Press TV – December 12, 2009 08:06:16 GMT

Pakistani security forces have arrested another three US citizens working at the American Consulate for filming sensitive installations in the eastern city of Lahore.

Police arrested three American nationals including a woman in the Sherpao bridge area of Lahore as they were filming sensitive government buildings, a Press TV correspondent reported.

According to Pakistani police all three were employees of the US embassy.

The US citizens were taken to a police station and later released after a three-hour inquiry.

Police have impounded their vehicle for legal action as it was bearing false license plates.

The woman, identified as Morgan, works for the press department at the American Consulate in Lahore. She was arrested while actually taking pictures of a check-post near the Sherpao Bridge.

The Pakistani daily The Nation reported that after a thorough search of the woman, the security personnel recovered 11 pictures in her possession, which included photos of different police check-posts in the area.

The Pakistani foreign affairs ministry was not available for comment when contacted by Press TV.

The move came just days after authorities arrested five US nationals from the eastern city of Sargodha, believed to have gone missing in Washington D.C. last month.

The US nationals, with alleged links to al-Qaeda, were arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack.