RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Police on Tuesday apprehended 16 individuals, including women and police officials, belonging to two notorious gangs involved in honey trap extortion.
In a press conference on Tuesday, SSP Operations Rawalpindi Police Kashif Zulfiqar said that Rs750,000 in cash and several illegal weapons were recovered from both gangs.
The first gang, led by Marina Khan, a Pakistani-origin woman from East Africa, and her husband Bilal, was using social media platforms to lure and trap citizens into compromising situations and blackmail them for money.
Saddar Barooni Police also arrested gang members Farooq, Tayyab, Kamran, and Abdul Jabbar.
The Police recovered Rs250,000 and unauthorized weapons from Marina Khan’s possession, he said.
“The gang used social media to lure victims, inviting them to private locations. Once the victims arrived, they were robbed at gunpoint,” SSP Operations added.
Similarly, Sadiqabad Police apprehended 10 suspects from another gang led by Aftab alias Tabi, which also included some police officials.
The Police have also recovered Rs500,000 and weapons from their custody
The arrested individuals were identified as Aftab, Hamza, Shan, Hajra, Uzma, Mubashir, Raza Abbas, Fazl Abbas, Noman, and Afzal, whereas this gang operated a blackmail racket.
According to SSP Operations, Hajra and others contacted victims via social media, invited them to private meetings, secretly recorded compromising photos and videos, and later blackmailed.
“This disturbing trend involving women and police personnel is deeply concerning,” said SSP Zulfiqar.
“We are taking strict departmental and legal action against the involved officers. They will face both judicial proceedings and dismissal from service.”
The Rawalpindi Police have urged the public to remain cautious while interacting on social media and report any suspicious activity.