"General Yahia al-Marrani...Was kidnapped this morning by armed Huthis from his home in Sanaa," a source told AFP.
Another source said that about 20 Huthis had stormed Marrani's residence and taken him to an unknown location.
The kidnapping was confirmed to AFP by a relative of the officer, who had served for five years as head of the police intelligence unit in Saada province, a Huthi stronghold in north Yemen.
He was named as a director in Yemen's intelligence services by President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who took power following a 2012 uprising that unseated longtime ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The Huthis have since expanded their presence in central and western Yemen, but have been met by fierce resistance from Sunni tribes and Al-Qaeda militants.