FIVE ARE RELEASED BY IRANIAN DRUG SMUGGLING KIDNAPPERS

FOUR European tourists and an Iranian national were released by their
Iranian kidnappers yesterday, the official Islamic Republic News Agency
reported.

Quoting an informed source, IRNA said the hostages three Spaniards, an
Italian and an Iranian were released at 1700 BST. It gave no further
details. The five had been kidnapped by a gang of drugs smugglers who were
hoping to negotiate the release of a captured colleague.

They were held in a mountainous region in southeastern Iran, between Kerman
and Sistan Baluchistan provinces.

One of the Spanish hostages suffers from blood pressure problems and had
received medication. The hostage had been not identified, but earlier
reports had said that Joaquin Fernandez, a 70 year old priest, had blood
pressure problems.

The other Spaniards are Cosme Puerto, 57, a priest, and Pedro Garcia, 34, a
computer engineer from Barcelona. The Italian is Massimo Cattabriga, a 39
year old engineer.

The Iranian Neshat newspaper has identified the Iranian as Rahmatollah
Salmani, 33.