In the autumn of 2004, a one-year-old boy named Mohammad Hussain Metla Jr. vanished from Brooklyn, New York. He was a small child, only about two and a half feet tall and weighing around 26 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. The last confirmed sighting of Mohammad was on November 6, 2004. It is believed that he is in the company of his mother, Flora Mahmood.
The circumstances surrounding his disappearance point to a parental kidnapping, as his mother allegedly took him without the consent of his father, who was the primary custodial parent.
The investigation into Mohammad's disappearance revealed that his mother may have taken him out of the country. It is alleged that on the day he was last seen, Flora Mahmood and her son departed from JFK airport in New York, with a destination of Dubai. A short time later, around December 15, 2004, it is believed that Mahmood and Mohammad traveled from Dubai to Lahore, Pakistan. Legal proceedings followed, and a Middlesex County Grand Jury indicted Flora Mahmood for interference with custody, leading to a warrant for her arrest. Subsequently, the boy's father was awarded legal and physical custody after a final judgment of divorce. In May of 2007, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Flora Mahmood by the United States District Court in the Eastern District of New York.
The case of Mohammad Metla Jr. is an ongoing international parental kidnapping investigation, with the Federal Bureau of Investigations - New York Field Office taking the lead. Flora Mahmood, a British citizen, may be traveling on a British passport and is thought to possibly be residing in Lahore, Pakistan with her son. The FBI has featured the case as part of its efforts to bring awareness to parental kidnapping. The core of this case is the abduction of a young child by a parent without legal authority to do so, crossing international borders and complicating the investigation. The primary goal of law enforcement remains the safe return of Mohammad to his custodial parent. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Mohammad Metla Jr. or Flora Mahmood is urged to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.Last Seen: Nov 6, 2004
