Three held as extortion gang busted

In a joint intelligence-based operation on Wednesday, Sindh Rangers and District Central police personnel apprehended three individuals allegedly involved in extortion and illegal activities in Ayub Goth.

The suspects, identified as Waqar, Muhammad Aslam alias Murghi, and Salman alias Nana, were taken into custody with weapons and ammunition. According to a Rangers spokesperson, the suspects were associates of extortion gang leader Abdul Samad alias Faizan and involved in the illegal trade of betel nuts. They were also responsible for making extortion calls to businessmen using foreign numbers and resorting to gunfire if demands were not met.

During interrogation, Waqar revealed that in 2022, he worked with Abdul Samad in New Karachi, illegally selling gutka and mawa, for which he was paid Rs700 daily. He further disclosed that in October 2024, he contacted him via an international WhatsApp number, assigning him the task of gathering information on a person named Kamran Bengali. Waqar had remained in contact with Samad ever since.

Suspect Aslam admitted to being involved in the illegal smuggling of betel nuts across Karachi and interior Sindh. He was responsible for arranging threatening calls through Samad’s close associate, Sohail, to extort money from victims.

Meanwhile, suspect Salman had a history of multiple street crimes and had previously been arrested and jailed in several cases. The arrested suspects, along with recovered weapons and ammunition, had been handed over to District Central Police for further legal proceedings.