10 involved in marriage scams arrested in Sahiwal

Gang used to entice citizens to marry young girls

SAHIWAL: Police have arrested 10 members of a gang, including three women, involved in defrauding people after enticing them to marry young girls.

They were caught red-handed by police after a raid on a hotel in Harappa, while a woman managed to flee by dodging a police constable.

The suspects include gang leader Ashiq, Lal Khan, Raza Kathia, Ali Raza, Shahbaz, Mani Zahra, Sonia Pathani, Meraj Bibi and Jamila Bibi.

Harappa Police Station SHO Abid Bhala said the gang was also involved in prostitution. The suspects targeted villagers and citizens who were facing difficulties in choosing a life partner or wanted to marry the second or third time.

The gang used to show girls to the targeted men and arrange their meetings. The girls would then extract money from them for shopping and household expenditures. After that, they would arrange the marriage and on the wedding night would flee with the gifted jewellery and other valuables.

The gang then hunted new targets in a different area.

As many as eight cases had been registered against Ashiq, while a woman of the gang had been nominated in three cases.

SHO Bhala said police raided the hotel on a complaint filed by a victim, as Ashiq and a woman were supposed to receive Rs2.5 million from two men.

During the raid, 10 people, including three women, were detained. The suspects after being arrested revealed that they had taken Rs27,000 from Bilal, Rs10,000 from Naveed Hussain and Rs13,000 from Rizwan Ali, while their plan was to receive Rs2.5 million from the three men at the hotel.

The police have registered a case on the complaint filed by Bilal Ahmed under Pakistan Penal Code’s sections 420, 371A and 371B. The suspects were presented in a court later in the day, after which they were sent on judicial remand.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2020.