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Published 01 May, 2007 12:00am

Osama look-alike arrested twice

NEW YORK, April 30: An Afghan national with a stark resemblance to Osama bin Laden has been arrested twice, both times following reported sightings and massive manhunts for the Al Qaeda leader, ABC news said on Monday quoting Pakistani intelligence officials.

Over six feet tall and with the same angular nose as Osama, Sher Akbar comes from an Afghan village, Bagh-i-Metal, in an area where US officials believe Osama has been hiding.

Osama is believed to be six feet four inches to six feet six inches tall and weigh 160 pounds. He is 50 years old.

The most recent arrest of Osama's near-twin came after Afghani officials reported informants saw Osama moving across the border into Pakistan, near the town of Chitral ABC news said.

"We arrested this man as a result of this investigation, but it's not who you might think it is," a senior Pakistani intelligence official told ABC News, providing a photograph to make his point.

The official said an extensive investigation involving Pakistani and intelligence officers found that the look-alike has no connection to Osama, but that local residents had tried to collect rewards based on Akhbar's resemblance to Osama.

The United States has offered a $25 million reward for information that leads to the location of Osama.

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