Customs inspector among 3 kidnappers held

KARACHI:

The Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC), Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), and a federal intelligence agency apprehended three kidnappers, including an on-duty customs inspector, during a joint operation on Sunday. The vehicle used in the abduction, the mobile phone of the abducted youth, wallets, various cards, and youth, wallets, various cards, and weapons, were also recovered during the raid.

The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of $50,000 in crypto currency from the family of the abducted youth. They tortured the abductee, recorded a video and sent it to the family on WhatsApp to put pressure on them. Investigation revealed the kidnappers’ plans to abduct two more citizens. According to details shared by SSP AVCC Zafar Siddiq Changa during a press conference at his office, the accused kidnapped a citizen named Muhammad Wajahat Nadeem on December 3 within the jurisdiction of Brigade police station. The vehicle used had an official number plate.

During the abduction, the accused took the victim to an unknown location, demanding a ransom of $50,000 in crypto currency for his release. The abductors threatened to harm the victim if the ransom was not paid. A case of the abduction of Wajahat was registered at Brigade police station, later transferred to the AVCC.

Read: Youth held for staging ‘kidnapping’

The kidnappers released the abducted youth on December 5, going into hiding after actions were taken by secret agencies and police. SSP Changa mentioned that efforts were underway to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the kidnapping. In a recent operation, an on duty customs inspector, identified as Abdul Fateh, along with his associates Rashid and Zubair, were arrested for their involvement in the abduction of Wajahat Nadeem.

Fateh, a government employee, serves as an inspector in the Collectorate and Customs Khuzdar. Zubair, another suspect, is a resident of Sukkur and was preparing for a competitive examination. The kidnapped youth was kept in a hideout in Sukkur. SSP Changa disclosed that during the investigation, the accused kidnappers confessed to having plans to kidnap two more citizens.

Out of the six suspects involved in the kidnapping-for-ransom gang, three have been arrested. Wajahat Nadeem, the abducted youth, recounted that he was standing near his house with a friend when the abductors called and kidnapped him. He endured physical and electrical torture, with the abductors pressuring him to withdraw the case.