Trader rescued, four held in ransom case

Rawat police have recovered a trader, who was abducted for ransom, and arrested four members of a kidnappers gang being run by a fake Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official and an ex-cop.

The policeman, who was dismissed from the Islamabad Police, were found to be involved in a kidnapping for ransom case in the Rawat area.

The perpetrators, holding Motorola wireless sets and posing as FIA and Islamabad police officers, abducted a businessman named Muhammad Nazir alias Golden, who was involved in the oil trade.

Following the registration of a case, the police successfully rescued the victim and arrested four abductors, while four others managed to flee the scene.

According to the police, the victim's close relatives approached the Rawat police, who, upon receiving a statement from the victim's friend, registered a kidnapping case and initiated an investigation.

The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs5 million for the victim's release. However, negotiations led to the ransom being reduced to Rs1.5m. The suspects continued to call the victim's family and arranged to meet at various locations, including Chak Beli Mor. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Rawat SHO Inspector Zahid Zahoor set up a blockade on GT Road and devised a strategy. As soon as the kidnappers arrived to collect the ransom amount, the police team raided the area, arrested four suspects, and safely rescued Muhammad Nazir.

During the raid, the police recovered the vehicle and other items from the arrested suspects. However, the fake FIA official and the dismissed cop, along with two accomplices, managed to flee the scene. The SHO said that the police were actively pursuing the remaining suspects and hoped to apprehend them soon.