Pakistan: Man arrested for posing as terrorist in extortion scheme

Punjab [Pakistan], January 20 (ANI): A resident of Weaver Colony in Ghulam Muhammadabad has been arrested by Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for posing as a member of a terrorist group to extort money from a local citizen, The Express Tribune reported.

The suspect, identified as Iftikhar, reportedly threw a threatening letter into the house of the victim, Javed, warning that his wife and children would be kidnapped unless a ransom was paid. The letter sparked fear and led to a formal complaint being filed with the police.

The letter left by the suspect threatened the victim's family with abduction if the demanded money was not delivered. Following the incident, the police initially registered a case against unknown individuals involved in the extortion attempt.

City Police Officer Kamran Adil then referred the case to the CTD, suspecting that a banned organisation might be involved, given the nature of the threat. This move prompted further investigation and led to the swift involvement of the CTD District Officer, Jamshed Iqbal, in the case, as per reports by The Express Tribune.

After reviewing CCTV footage, the CTD team managed to identify the suspect, Iftikhar, and took him into custody for questioning. During his interrogation, Iftikhar admitted to the crime, stating that he had resorted to such drastic measures due to financial difficulties.

He confessed that the threat and demand for money were purely a result of his financial hardship.

Iftikhar had reportedly demanded that the extortion money be left under a tree at a graveyard. This unusual request raised further suspicions and indicated that the suspect had carefully planned the crime to avoid detection.

After completing their investigation, the CTD officials handed Iftikhar over to the Ghulam Muhammadabad police for further legal action, The Express Tribune reported.

Sources within the police stated that the suspect, who has two wives and children from both marriages, had used the extortion scheme in an attempt to resolve his financial troubles. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)