Police, Rangers bust gang of criminals

The group includes police, judiciary, customs officials involved in sale and purchase of NCP vehicles

KARACHI:

Police and Rangers in a joint operation arrested an eight-member gang involved in buying and selling non-customs paid (NCP) vehicles and kidnapping. Authorities claim the suspects were traced through a WhatsApp call. The suspects include police, judiciary and customs officials.

Colonel Sikandar of Rangers and SP Usman Maroof of Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC), while addressing a joint press conference, said that a young man named Hamza, a goldsmith by profession, was abducted on November 26 from Gulshan-e-Maymar area.

His family was contacted through WhatsApp by removing the SIM from his mobile phone and a ransom of Rs20 million was demanded by the suspects. Later, a deal was struck for Rs3.5 million and the family paid the amount following which the suspects released Hamza within a few hours.

Colonel Sikandar and SP Usman said the suspects included two customs officers, two policemen and a Sessions Court Central staff member.

The ransom money of about Rs2 million was also recovered from the possession of the suspects along with the vehicle used in kidnapping and the motorcycle of the abductee. Seven vehicles have also been recovered on the indication of the suspects. The suspects are involved in buying and selling non-customs paid vehicles. Further investigation is under way.

The abducted Hamza was also present at the press conference who disclosed the details of the incident. During the press conference, when the journalists asked questions to the authorities, in response to most of the questions, they said that the suspects were being interrogated and only after complete interrogation they would be in a position to say something.

On the other hand, sources said that a close relative of Hamza was involved in the abduction with whom he had a business dispute and he is also under custody.

Hamza had not lodged a report with the police after the incident but the authorities contacted him and asked for a report following which the investigation was started by filing a formal report.

Sources further said that the accomplice of the suspects is one of the arrested accused who owns a showroom which sells non-customs paid vehicles to the citizens at low prices and at the same time informs the customs officials about all the details of such customers and after a few days, the customs officials harass the buyer by threatening to confiscate the vehicle and other legal proceedings and eventually leave the vehicle for a large sum of money.

The suspects were approached by a close relative of the abductee who planned the abduction. The sources said that more important revelations are expected.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2021.