Woman in Lahore swindled of millions by ‘husband to be’

Petitioner says she kept depositing money as per accused’s instructions

LAHORE: A woman seeking her own happily ever after was swindled of Rs4.51 million by a man who promised her just that.

Noreen reached a district and sessions court, seeking a case against a man who took the huge amount by luring her with false promises of a wedding and grandeur. The petitioner said the accused also promised to establish a welfare hospital in her name.

Petitioner Noureen Yousuf told the court that Dr Abdullah Khan became friends with her and later wanted to tie the knot.
The accused allegedly claimed he was an American national and his parents had died. He also vowed to establish a welfare hospital in the name of the woman he would marry.
She further stated that the accused told her that he and his sister would come to Pakistan for the wedding.
After a few days, the suspect said he purchased some machines from the UN at cheap rates and would send them through courier. Consequently, the petitioner provided her address for the delivery.

Noureen stated that Dr Abdullah Khan claimed he would send another box in the same shipment containing $35,000, which they could spend together once he reached Pakistan.



She contended that on March 20, she received a phone call from someone named Mark Gibson who directed her to deposit customer registration fee in his account. She consequently contacted Dr Abdullah who confirmed that she would have to pay the amount. She deposited Rs180,000 in Gibson’s account and was later told by the same man that the box sent by Dr Abdullah would be scanned and could create problems for her. He advised her to pay Rs350,000, claiming a money laundering case could be registered against her and Dr Abdullah otherwise.

She contacted Abdullah again who asked her to deposit the amount and told her that she could keep the amount which he had sent in the box. Later, she also deposited Rs750,000 and another Rs1.5 million as tax on the sent articles.

After that Gibson, told her that the airport police would arrest her and her family if she did not deposit Rs3.217 million as the box sent by Dr Abdullah was illegal. She told the court that she had deposited a total amount Rs4.51 million thus far. Later, she was unable to reach Dr Abdullah, Gibson, and the other accused, Imran Sajad and Shan Masih, as all their phones were switched off.

She requested the court to order the registration of an FIR against the accused who deceived her with false promises of wedlock and claims of establishing a welfare trust in her name. The additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the FIA director by May 23.