Seven arrested in hunt for absconded child rapists

Seven people have been re-arrested as police search for two convicted Bradford sex offenders who absconded during their trial.

Brothers Fayaz and Imtiaz Ahmed were sentenced in their absence in January 2025 for raping a girl in Keighley in the 1990s, when she was 13 or 14.

Fayaz Ahmed, who was 45 at the time of the hearing, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for two counts of rape. Imtiaz Ahmed, who was 62, was jailed for nine years for one count of rape.

West Yorkshire Police all seven people had been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

The four men and three women, aged between 28 and 52, were arrested at addresses in Keighley, Bingley, Birmingham and the Nelson area of Lancashire.

Police confirmed they had all been released on conditional bail while inquiries continue.

Det Supt Vicky Greenbank said: "These arrests are part of our commitment to ensure that two serious sexual offenders are located and apprehended so that justice is served.

"We continue to carry out enquiries to locate Fayaz and Imitaz. I would encourage anyone who knows where they are to come forward and provide us with information."

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