BEIJING — A Chinese photographer acclaimed for his stark pictures of poverty and pollution was arrested by the police while visiting Xinjiang, his wife said on Friday, in an update on a disappearance that has drawn additional attention to the far western region where hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been detained.

The photographer, Lu Guang, went missing in early November while visiting Xinjiang to meet with local photographers who had invited him, his wife, Xu Xiaoli, said by telephone from New York where the couple live. But until recently, she and Mr. Lu’s family had no official confirmation that he had been arrested.

Image The photographer Lu Guang has been detained by the Chinese police after visiting the Xinjiang region of China, his wife said. Credit... Reuters

Earlier this week, though, the police called Mr. Lu’s family in China and said that he had been arrested in Kashgar, Ms. Xu said. Kashgar is an ancient city in southern Xinjiang that has been at the forefront of a government crackdown on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. Ms. Xu first announced the news on Twitter.