Ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said Wednesday, Aug. 6, that the ministry was made aware of the case on July 29.

The foreign ministry's crisis response unit has been working since then to secure the safe release of the man, who holds both German and Afghan passports. He said the Berlin unit was cooperating with Afghan authorities.

Ploetner said the man primarily worked and lived in Afghanistan.

The German DPA news agency, citing security circles in Kabul, reported that kidnapping was probably not politically motivated, but rather aimed at extorting money.

Ploetner said the victim had dual German-Afghan nationality and had recently moved from Germany to Afghanistan for business reasons.

Security sources told the DPA news agency that the unnamed man was seized in Kabul after finishing work for the day.

At least six Germans have been kidnapped in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2007. German engineer Rudolf Blechschmidt was released on October 10 after nearly three months in the hands of his abductors.