UAE says Rigi never laid foot on territory

The UAE Foreign Ministry said Friday that Rigi, who was identified and detained by Iranian security officials on Tuesday, never lay foot on the sheikhdom's territory as he had only stayed at the Dubai International Airport for a few hours.

“We dismissed out of hand reports that Abdolmalek Rigi was in our territory prior to his arrest,” Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabia quoted the UAE Foreign Ministry as saying.

Iranian observers believe the claims are aimed at undermining tireless efforts by the Tehran government to locate the whereabouts of Rigi.

Abdolmalek Rigi was captured on Tuesday while aboard a passenger jet flying to Kyrgyzstan from the UAE. His plane was subsequently grounded in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas.

The Jundallah group has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Iran. The group has carried out mass murder, armed robbery, kidnappings, acts of sabotage and bombings against Iranian officials and civilians.


/Press TV/