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Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi said Rigi had been in a US military base in Afghanistan 24 hours before his arrest, was carrying an Afghan passport supplied by the United States and had earlier visited European countries, state-run Press TV reported.

The Iranian minister's claim was dismissed by Washington as "bogus."

It was not immediately clear how Iranian authorities were able to seize the leader of the shadowy rebel group from the flight en route between Dubai and Kyrgyzstan.

But an official at Manas airport in Bishkek told AFP on condition of anonymity that the plane was forced to land.

"While over the territory of Iran a flight from Dubai to Bishkek with 119 passengers onboard was forced to make an emergency landing by military bomber aircraft," the official said, adding that "a number of foreign passengers were forcibly removed."

Jundallah confirmed its leader's arrest on Tuesday in a statement on the blog junbish.blogspot.com.

"The leader was arrested with the help of the CIA, and Afghan and Pakistani intelligence services," it said.

With the help of the CIA? LOL

Of course, Jundalla would say that.

news.bbc.co.uk