The drama over the whereabouts of Katie Price's 'missing' husband Lee Andrews has continued to unfold amid claims his phone has been turned back on, just hours after his father reported he's currently locked up in a prison in Dubai.
The businessman, 43, vanished 12 days ago, in what Katie, 48, claimed was a kidnapping after he 'went dark' on her.
The TV personality alleged he'd disappeared mid-conversation as he was telling her he'd been arrested and 'bundled into a van' while hooded and with his hands tied to be taken to a 'black site'.
However, on Saturday, his long-suffering father Peter – who is one of the few people in Dubai to support him – told the Daily Mail that Lee has been arrested by the UAE authorities and is in prison.
He said: 'Lee is OK. He has not been kidnapped but he is under arrest. I don't know on what charge. I'm not sure where he is being held. But he will call me later today.'
'He is not at my house,' he added, while a police source said: 'Lee Andrews has been arrested.'
The drama over the whereabouts of Katie Price 's 'missing' husband Lee Andrews, has continued to unfold amid claims his phone has been turned back on, just hours after his father reported he's currently locked up in a prison in Dubai
The businessman, 43, vanished 12 days ago, in what Katie, 48, claimed was a kidnapping after he disappeared mid-conversation as he was telling her he'd been arrested and 'bundled into a van' while hooded and with his hands tied to be taken to a 'black site'
And the chief of Dubai Police has confirmed that he is the subject of a number of arrest warrants, mainly for fraud.
Brigadier Khalid Khalifa al Avadhi told the Daily Mail: 'There are many cases against him.'
However, the mystery surrounding Lee's absence has continued to deepen, first after he appeared to still be active on social media, and now with fresh claims that he has been using his mobile phone.
A source has claimed that one of Lee's phones had been turned back on Sunday morning, telling The Sun: 'I had been messaging Lee and was getting no response.
'But on Sunday morning, my messages had gone from a single tick to a double – so that device is back on and being used. Lee has multiple phones but this is the one that is being used now.'
It comes after Lee appeared to re-emerge on social media on Friday, over a week after Katie last had contact with him, to follow another woman called Marisol on Instagram.
Sources have claimed that Marisol, who describes herself as a 'biker babe,' has history with millionaires, having previously used a matchmaking site dedicated to those with large fortunes.
While Katie is reportedly 'beyond furious' by Lee's apparent social media return nine days after his disappearance, after previously sharing her fears he'd been 'kidnapped' in Dubai.
'Katie is incensed at what has played out,' a source told The Sun. 'She is beyond furious. She was panic-stricken last week when Lee told her he was being kidnapped.
'She thought it was genuine. Now it's all unravelling. Those close to her have warned it's all an elaborate sham but Katie genuinely loves Lee.'
It comes after Lee appeared to re-emerge on social media on Friday, over a week after Katie last had contact with him, to follow another woman called Marisol on Instagram (pictured)
Previously further intrigue was added to the story this week by former Apprentice contestant Luisa Zissman, who lives in Dubai and is a friend of Lee.
She said in a Facebook post that she’d noticed his social media had been active very recently, writing: ‘It does indicate his kidnappers are definitely letting him have access to social media.'
But Katie was once again quick to react with a social post of her own, dismissing the report that her husband was safe by claiming: ‘I have Lee’s Facebook. It’s not him on this, it’s me.'
She claimed this week that she'd given up the search for her 'kidnapped' husband during the latest episode of her podcast, 'for her own sanity' and was now 'leaving it to the police'.
The mother-of-five initially begged her followers to help her search for Lee, but Katie has now said she said she won't let his disappearance 'ruin her life' following reports he has 'ghosted' her.
She said: 'There's nothing I can do, nothing more that I can say. And the police are dealing with it. I'm just leaving it to the police.
'I'm not gonna talk about it anymore, I'm just staying quiet because it's getting ridiculous now, people just taking the p**s out of everything.'
Katie added: 'The police are now handling it, the British police, British consulate, the foreign office, Interpol they're on the case looking for Lee.
'All I can do is just get on with my life. I've got lots of exciting things coming up, and I'm just waiting for a call. What am I supposed to do, sit here and cry and do nothing, stay in bed? No because I'm not that.
'We will find out everything I'm sure. That's not me trying to sound harsh, it's just how I'm dealing with everything. For my own sanity, I am taking a step back.'
Previously further intrigue was added to the story this week by former Apprentice contestant Luisa Zissman, who lives in Dubai and is a friend of Lee (seen)
The Daily Mail were dispatched to Dubai earlier this week after the former glamour model announced her fourth husband was 'missing' and that she was concerned about his safety.
The British Foreign Office were alerted but their staff in Dubai were unable to find any trace of him. The Dubai authorities also denied any knowledge of his whereabouts.
There was no sign of Lee at his last known address in the run-down Satwa district of the city, where he had lived with his father Peter before becoming involved with Katie.
The letting agent involved with the property revealed how the father and son pair had moved out 'about four months ago'.
She said: 'Mr Andrews moved out of the property about four months ago.'
Lee, who has lived in Dubai for the past 20 years, has become a well-recognised bodybuilder in the city state.
But inquiries about his welfare at the many training gyms and boxing clubs that he attends were fruitless.
Staff at his favourite exercise camp, Top Gym, in the sought-after Jumeirah Palm district, said he had not been there for four weeks.
One said: 'Yes, we all know Lee. He comes here a lot. He brought his wife here recently. She is a slim lady with black hair. But he has not been here since the third week of April.'
An expat trainer at another gym nearby added: 'Andrews is also strutting about the Palm [Jumeriah]. I've had to warn a couple of clients not to get too involved with him. He is a very shady person.
But Lee's ex-wife told the Daily Mail that she was not surprised that he had been arrested.
The expat American citizen, who asked not to be identified for fear of repercussions, said: 'The guy is a psychopath.
'There are about 20 warrants out for his arrest, most of them to do with fraud, so I'm not surprised he has been detained.
'It's insane what this man put me through. I feel so stupid for being in a relationship with him for so long.
'He is a mass manipulator. He stole money from me. He stole jewellery from me. He is a really bad person. He doesn't have any friends.
'His family don't even like him. His mom [sic] even tried to warn me about him. Lee stole my engagement ring and that is the one that Katie Price is now wearing.'
She added: 'Going to the airport was a very dangerous thing for him because of all the surveillance cameras.
'Here in Dubai the police will not go looking for him. But if his face appears on a surveillance camera then they will detain him.
'That is why he always wears a hat because he knows that the surveillance cameras cannot recognise him with a cap on. So, I guess that is how the authorities finally caught up with him.'