Karachi police trace extortion calls to Lahore man living overseas

KARACHI: A dramatic twist emerged in the extortion case involving a restaurant owner in Karachi’s Aram Bagh area, as police revealed that the extortion demand came from a man based outside Pakistan, ARY News reported.

According to police, the suspect, identified as Hammad, a Lahore native currently living in Malaysia, contacted the restaurant owner in Karachi after obtaining his phone number from the restaurant’s TikTok account. Officials said Hammad demanded extortion money using the name of a Karachi gang-war group to intimidate the victim.

Police further disclosed that the suspect has taken loans from multiple people in Pakistan. He reportedly asked those lenders to share their bank account numbers, claiming a “friend from Karachi” would transfer money to settle his debts.

One individual shared an account number, which Hammad later used to send extortion payment details to the Karachi restaurant owner.

The extortion demand initially stood at Rs 2 million, but the matter was eventually settled at Rs 300,000, police added.

The police have warned citizens not to share their bank account details for any unknown transactions, urging Karachi residents in particular to remain cautious to prevent misuse of their accounts in criminal activities.

Earlier, Law enforcement agencies arrested four suspects involved in demanding extortion from a car showroom owner and a marble factory owner in Karachi.

According to reports, the arrested group includes the prime suspect, Junaid, who allegedly made multiple extortion calls. Officials said important evidence has been recovered from the suspects’ mobile phones, strengthening the case against them.

KARACHI officials revealed that the mobile phone of another suspect, Ejaz, contained the saved number used for extortion calls. Investigators said the suspects had earlier demanded extortion from a Karachi car showroom owner, prompting a swift response from law enforcement agencies.

In another incident, a man accused of demanding Rs100 million in extortion from a marble factory owner in the Manghopir area of Karachi was also arrested. Officials stated that the extortion call to the factory owner was made from an international number, raising concerns about possible foreign-based handlers.

Authorities further disclosed that the marble factory owner was sent a parcel containing two bullets, clearly intended as a threat. The recovery of evidence and the arrests mark a significant step in curbing extortion activities in Karachi.

Law enforcement agencies in Karachi have intensified operations to dismantle networks involved in extortion, intimidation, and cross-border coordinated criminal activity.