Kabul, Sep 18 (IANS): A money exchanger was arrested in Afghanistan's western province of Herat for allegedly concocting a plan to stage his own abduction in a bid to receive money from his family, officials said on Friday.

This is the second time that the man hid himself to receive money from his family under the pretext of kidnapping, Xinhua news agency reported.

The man, who is not yet identified, had earlier hidden himself under the pretext of being kidnapped and received 1 million afghani (12,900 US dollars) from his family a few months ago, Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) reported.

Personnel of law enforcing agencies have arrested the man who hid himself for the second time and asked his family to pay 200,000 US dollars for his release, the media outlet quoted Noor Ahmad Haidari, the Deputy Provincial Governor, as saying.

The self-kidnapped man, during investigation, indicated heavy losses in his business as the reason for self-abduction, the news agency added.