Extortion central: When a phone call becomes a game of life and death

Khazana, Hayatabad, Yakatoot areas still perilous for businessmen

PESHAWAR: Picking up a phone call from an unknown number could become a game of Russian roulette if the receiver is in the jurisdiction of the Khazana police station, the extortion capital of the district, or so it is considered.

Mainly inhabited by Mohmand Agency tribesmen who are considered wealthy, the area attracts the unwanted attention of militants active in the tribal area. The group active in Khazana is considered one of the more ambitious and employs unique methods.



A dangerous cup of tea

“They will call and invite you for a chat in Lal Pur, Afghanistan, where the group is based nowadays,” a resident of Shero Jhangi told The Express Tribune. “The area is a district in Nangarhar province of the neighbouring country. It lies adjacent to Mohmand,” he added. “Sometimes people are invited to Torkham Border or else to Chaknawar in Afghanistan,” the Shero Jhangi resident added. Chaknawar is associated with Goshta district, in Nangarhar, which is also associated with the Mohmand clans. Some villages lie extremely close to the border.

The wealthy individuals are then reminded of their assets, businesses, houses and vehicle registration numbers. They are then asked to ‘donate’ to the noble cause of jihad.



He explained the traders are told by militants that they spent hundreds of thousands of rupees to collect the information and the amount should be returned in kind.

No small change

“As far as I know, at least 80 people have received calls from them in 2015 alone. Some people simply go to Afghanistan silently and strike a bargain,” the local said. “Others inform the police, but the cases are rarely registered,” he alleged.

An official of Khazana police station admitted there were at least 20 cases of extortion in 2015 in which only two or three FIRs were registered.



Khazana DSP Sahibzada Sajjad denied the allegations. “I have been posted here for the last six months and the area is completely extortion free,” he said.

Sajjad added villagers are not an easy nut to crack for extortionists.

Other hotspots

After areas under the Khazana police jurisdiction, Hayatabad comes across as the most preferred target for extortionists; most of its residents are wealthy individuals. Tribesmen from Khyber Agency and Darra Adam Khel living in Hayatabad are frequently victimised.

Cantt SP Kashif Zulfiqar told The Express Tribune as Hayatabad is located adjacent to Khyber Agency, its proximity is the likely reason behind the phenomenon.

“It is easier to transport a hand grenade to Hayatabad and target a house,” he said. Other areas popular among extortionists are those located in the jurisdiction of the Yakatoot police station. Once again, the area is mostly inhabited by Mohmand tribesmen and Afghan refugees. Since August 2015, a significant number of houses were targeted in Yakatoot by the criminals.

The exact number of extortion cases in the city is difficult to pinpoint, if not impossible. According to police data, 159 cases of extortion were reported in 2015 throughout K-P of which 65 were in the provincial capital.



“When the police are informed, the report is sent to the counter-terrorism department which in turn tries to trace the culprit,” said a police official. However, he added the problem lies with the fact that the FIR is only registered when the suspects are arrested otherwise no case will be registered.

“Local extortionists have been eliminated, but those are based in Afghanistan are still around and active. Most importantly, they are very difficult to deal with. There are extortion incidents in Khazana, Yaktoot, Hayatabad and Chamkani,” he shared. “The cases are on the decline, without a doubt, but are far from over.”

Although investigation is reportedly ongoing, traders at Qissa Khwani Bazaar say the murder of prominent businessman Haleem Jan was carried out by extortionists. Many point out the slaying of a man of Jan’s stature is extremely worrying.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th,  2016.