4 suspects arrested in Karachi for short-term kidnapping of citizens

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested four suspects in a raid near Parking Plaza in the Saddar area, who are allegedly involved in a series of short-term kidnappings in Karachi, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Imtiaz alias Salman, Obaid-ur-Rehman alias Aabi, Shahid Musa, and Saleem.

Police recovered several items from the suspects, including ransom money, a pistol, walkie-talkies, handcuffs, and a car with fake government number plates.

According to DSP Raja Umar Khattab, the suspects would impersonate officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), CTD, and other law enforcement agencies. They used a car with fake government plates to abduct citizens and then transport them to Steel Town.

Once the victims were abducted, the suspects would demand ransom and then release them in secluded areas after receiving the money, he said.

In one of the incidents, on April 13, the suspects kidnapped a man named Ismail from PIB Colony. They took him to a warehouse near Steel Town, where they extracted Bitcoin details from him, confiscated his mobile phone. The victim was eventually released after the ransom was paid.

On April 20, the suspects abducted another citizen, Faisal, from Hijrat Colony. They withdrew Rs5 lac from his ATM and mobile banking applications before releasing him near Allah Wali Chowrangi.

The suspects were also involved in extorting Rs7 lac from a factory owners in Orangi town. They posed as customs officers and threatened to carry out raids, blackmailing the factory owners.

An investigation is currently underway, and further details are expected to emerge, DSP Raja Umar Khattab added.

Earlier, the specialised unit of Karachi police arrested the prime suspect in the in a case pertaining to a cryptocurrency trader’s short-term kidnapping, ARY News, citing officials.

According to Karachi police, the prime suspect, identified as Ali Raza, has been arrested in the case.

Raza has become the ninth suspect to have been arrested in the case.

The case stems from the short-term kidnapping of a crypto trader who was robbed off around US$340,000.

The crypto trader was abducted on December 24, 2024, from Manghopir area of Karachi by suspects, including CTD officials and a cop posted in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) police.