Man tries to extort Rs20m from cousin

KARACHI:

In a disturbing case that lays bare how greed can corrode familial bonds, a man was arrested for attempting to extort Rs10 million from his own relative living abroad. The accused, identified as Ahsan Farooqi, allegedly sent threatening WhatsApp messages to his cousin Bilal-who resides in Kuwait-on October 15, warning of harm to Bilal's siblings in Karachi if the ransom wasn't paid.

The threats were explicit: Farooqi vowed serious consequences for Bilal's family unless the hefty sum was transferred. The extortion attempt came to light when Bilal's sister, based in Karachi, filed a formal complaint on October 29 under extortion and telegraph-related charges. The case was registered by Sachal Police and later handed over to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) for further inquiry.

Farooqi, once considered a trusted insider, exploited his familial ties to orchestrate the crime. But his plan unraveled when SIU, with assistance from CPLC and technical teams, tracked and arrested him from the Sachal area. Authorities recovered a mobile phone used in the extortion attempt, along with a firearm and ammunition.