Courier service rider ‘steals’ rare Husky pup

Islamabad resident seeks FIA, police assistance in canine pet’s recovery

ISLAMABAD:

In a bizarre incident of theft, a ride-hailing service driver made off with a puppy of a rare breed belonging to a citizen in the federal capital.

Despite seeking assistance from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Cybercrime Unit and local police, the whereabouts of the rider remain elusive.

Hamadul Hasan, a resident of Sector H-13, Islamabad, filed a complaint with both the FIA Cyber Crime Unit and Islamabad police. In his statement, he mentioned booking a courier service via the In-drive App to transport a pair of rare breed pet dogs to Faizabad. However, upon the driver's arrival at the specified location, it was discovered that the car and its registration number were different.

Upon inquiry, the driver claimed the original car had been damaged, necessitating the use of an alternate vehicle. The pets were entrusted to the driver, Umair Zulfikar, for delivery to Jabir Shah in Faizabad, with the pets kept in a vehicle bearing registration number IDN-8464. To ensure proof of delivery, a video was recorded for the recipient's verification.

However, during the delivery process, the driver took one of the dogs and arranged for another motorcycle rider to transport it to Faizabad. Upon receipt of the dog, Jabir Shah confirmed the delivery of one dog. Despite repeated attempts to contact the driver via messages and calls, there was no response. The complaint lodged with the ride-hailing company online remained unresolved.

Given the dog's value of Rs0.2 million, legal steps are being taken to recover the pet.

The FIA Cybercrime Circle in Islamabad has initiated an investigation into the incident and has sent a letter to the relevant company, seeking comprehensive details about the driver. Despite efforts, The Express Tribune's attempts to contact the company on their G-7 Islamabad number were futile as the number was consistently switched off.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2024.