Abductions: Dentist, factory owner kidnapped

Investigators suspect ring behind other disappearances as well.

KARACHI:

A Chinese dentist, Chin Wong Chow, also known as Muhammad Yousuf, went missing from his clinic at Haqqani Chowk in Orangi Town on Tuesday.

According to eyewitnesses, two men arrived in a Toyota Corolla, entered the clinic and took the doctor away with them.

Also, on the same day, a factory owner was kidnapped from Ahsanabad in Gulshan-e-Maymar. Musavir Khan went missing while he was going to Gulshan-e-Maymar for work. His car was found abandoned from Ahsanabad.

According to SHO Asif Rauf, the kidnappers have not demanded any ransom for Chow but they want Rs20 million for releasing Khan. He said that the overall circumstances suggested that the men were kidnapped for money.

The police have registered a case against unidentified men under Section 365-A and Anti-Violent Crime Cell and the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee are trying to find the doctor and the businessman.

Chow had been running a private clinic for the past 30 years in Orangi. He had recently converted to Islam and changed his name to Mohammad Yousuf. He has four children and lived in Nazimabad near Board Office.

While the other victim, Khan, owned a factory in New Karachi Industrial Area and was a resident of FB Area.

The chief of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell, Ghulam Subhani, said that he expected the kidnappers to call for Chow’s ransom soon as well. He said that the intelligence network was enhanced to try and find the men with the help of the CPLC and the area police.

Subhani said that the initial investigation showed that the men were taken to Sakran via the Northern Bypass and the Ghafoor Bugti group was behind both the abductions.

The AVCC chief said that he was hopeful that both men would be recovered because they have nabbed several members of the same kidnapping ring.

The Sindh government also took notice of Chow’s abduction. The Chinese consul general met Home Minister Manzoor Wassan on Tuesday and urged him to make proper security arrangements for Chinese nationals living in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2012.