The number plate of the US Consulate vehicle was found to be fake, a senior police officer of Gwadar police said, while confirming the arrest of the three employees.

According to sources, police intercepted a vehicle with a diplomatic number plate at the Gwadar bypass, acting on information that a suspicious vehicle had entered the area. Police brought the vehicle and the three employees to Gwadar police station.

The three, Ghulam Jilani, assistant security officer, Muzafar and the driver, were released late on Wednesday.

The sources said the three had arrived in Turbat a day before and, after spending the night there, they left for Gwadar. The consulate employees refused to say anything about the purpose of their visit to Turbat and Gwadar.

“Yes, police took into custody three US Consulate employees who had come to Gwadar and Turbat without permission from competent authorities,” a senior officer told Dawn, adding that an investigation was under way to ascertain the purpose of their visit to the area.

Sources said that the employees had been released on the orders of some senior officials. However, police refused to hand over the vehicle because its documents had not been produced.

“We released the US Consulate employees,” Jumma Khan, SHO of Gwadar police station, said. But the vehicle was in police custody because its number plate was found to be fake.