On Monday, an antiterrorism court learned that Rs12.9 million and a luxury car bought with a cryptocurrency trader’s ransom had been recovered. The court heard that the suspects, including two Counter-Terrorism Department officials, deposited the ransom in a bank to buy a Mercedes-Benz, which the police have now seized.
The investigating officer (IO) presented eight suspects in court for a remand extension. They included CTD constables Ali Sajad and Muhammad Umer, alongside six others. The IO reported recovering the Mercedes-Benz and a significant cash amount linked to the ransom.
Additionally, the court was informed that Arsalan Malik, the complainant, identified two suspects who played key roles in the crime. The IO requested more time to interrogate the suspects and capture others still at large.
Following the IO’s report, the court granted a five-day extension of police custody for the suspects.
A press release from the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) stated that the team has secured approximately Rs12m in cash, Rs900,000 in prize bonds, and the luxury vehicle, all purchased with nearly $340,000 in digital currency paid by the kidnapped trader for his release.
The initial report indicated that the trader was abducted by five men in plain clothes using an unmarked police vehicle. They accessed his Binance account and transferred $340,000 into various digital wallets. After resetting his phone, they released him near the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam. Subsequently, eight individuals were arrested for their involvement in this kidnapping and extortion incident.
