Detectives offer £20,000 reward in international hunt for boys, six, five and three, after they disappeared with their Afghan father

Detectives have today offered a £20,000 reward for information in the international hunt for three children who disappeared with their Afghan father.

Imran Safi, 26, is believed to have snatched his sons Bilal, six, Mohammed Ebrar, five, and Mohammed Yaseen, three, who have not been seen since 6pm on Thursday, August 20.

A total of 16 people have been arrested in connection with the abduction in Coulsdon, south London.

Meanwhile, police have today released an image of a man, pictured in a red Nissan Qashqai, registration PK13 WFO, at the time of the disappearance, who they would like to speak to.

Bilal, six, Mohammed Ebrar, five, and Mohammed Yaseen, three, have not been seen since 6pm on Thursday, August 20

Police have today released an image of a man, pictured in a red Nissan Qashqai, registration PK13 WFO, at the time of the disappearance, who they would like to speak to

Despite extensive operation and forensic work, detectives have not be able to identify the man, who was sat in the front passenger seat as the car made off from the abduction

Despite extensive operation and forensic work, detectives have not be able to identify the man, who was sat in the front passenger seat as the car made off from the abduction.

The red Nissan was photographed travelling down Malpit Road, towards Coulsdon Central, shortly after the children were taken.  

He is described as a bearded man and was believed to be wearing a stripy jumper in the car. 

Anyone who in the Coulsdon area and has dashcam footage from August 20, is urgently asked to check their footage. Anyone who thinks they know the man is also asked to urgently call the police so officers can speak to him.

Met Police Commander Bas Javid, said: 'I can't imagine how distressing this whole situation has been for the three young boys, who have been taken away from their safe environment, and our efforts to locate Imran Safi continues. 

'We are now offering a £20,000 reward for any information that will help us to bring the children home safely.

'We also need the public's help to identify a man who was the passenger in the red Nissan at the time the children were taken. He may hold valuable information as to where the children and Imran Safi are. 

'We appreciate that the image is not the clearest quality but we still need people to really study it and see if the man in the picture is one that they may recognise.'

New images of the three boys, taken by their foster carer at a park in Croydon, on the day they were taken, have been released today as well. 

Commander Javid, continued: 'The investigative team has been working tirelessly on this case and we are appealing again because someone reading or seeing this knows the whereabouts of these innocent children and I need them to contact us urgently and provide that knowledge.

Police are hunting Imran Safi, 26, after he burst into his children's foster home in Coulsdon, south London and assaulted their carer and threatened her wife a knife

Safi, who has family links to Pakistan, fled with the boys in a Nissan Qashqai at around 6pm on August 20. They have not been seen since, but the car was recovered from the west Croydon area

'We believe that Safi and the children have most likely left the UK, but our investigation continues and we will continue to do everything we can to locate the children and arrest Safi. Our working theory is that they have left via a clandestine route, but to where? We remain unsure, and that is why we need people across the country, and abroad to share this appeal for information.

'The focus of this operation is returning these innocent children to the UK which is our top priority. We hope that offering this reward will lead to some significant information being passed to us.' 

It is understood that the three children were due to be formally adopted by a new family, which detectives believe could be a motive for the abduction.

Neighbours told last month how the children's foster mother has moved out of her home out of fear Safi may return and attack her following the harrowing abduction.

A local resident said the next door neighbours are 'shocked and scared', living in fear he could come back.

It also emerged that the fugitive was evicted from his former home a year ago because the children were always crying, according to his former landlord.  

The three boys' disappearance has sparked a major investigation involving more than 100 police officers.

It is believed that the children were due to be adopted and Safi 'may have found out' and decided to act before they were moved. 

Detectives said previously that they fear the children may already be abroad, despite having circulated their father's mugshot and details to all ports and borders as they attempt to close off escape routes. 

Eight people were arrested in the first few days of the investigation and were bailed to return to a south London police station at a later date.

Bilal, 6, Ebrar, 5, and Yaseen Safi, 3, were thought to have been taken by their father from their foster home in Coulsdon, south London 

Then four men - aged between 21 and 41 - were arrested at an address in Ilford in the early hours of Friday, 28 August. All four have been further bailed to return to a south London police station in late November.

A 31-year-old man was arrested at a residential address in Ilford, the following day and was released under investigation before a 17-year-old male was arrested at an address on Connaught Road in Bristol.

He was detained on suspicion of being involved in the abduction and has since been released on bail. 

Then on September 10, a 45-year-old man was arrested at Heathrow Airport for conspiracy to kidnap. He was taken to a south London police station and has been bailed pending further enquiries.

Today, a 30-year-old man was arrested at an address on High Street in Thornton Heath on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap and possession of an offensive weapon.

He has been taken to a south London police station.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Imran Safi or the three children is urged to call the incident room on 07942599374 – this number is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Alternatively, to stay completely anonymous, contact the charity Crimestoppers on freephone 0800 555 111 or fill in their simple and secure anonymous online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Any member of the public who may see Imran Safi should avoid approaching him but call police immediately on 999.