A cryptocurrency trader, who was abducted and released after paying a ransom of approximately $340,000 in digital currency, identified two suspects during a judicial identification parade on Saturday.
The identification parade was conducted by Judicial Magistrate (West) Hasnain Gul following legal protocols. The suspects, Mohammed Rizwan Shah and Tariq Hasan Shah, were presented before the magistrate alongside several dummies. Investigating Officer Makhdoom Moinuddin confirmed that the complainant accurately identified the two suspects as his alleged abductors.
The victim assigned roles to the suspects during the parade, stating that Rizwan Shah had issued threats of severe consequences, while Tariq Shah interrogated him during his captivity.
The case took a dramatic turn earlier this week when two constables from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), among eight suspects, were apprehended for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping. The suspects reportedly released the trader after he transferred the ransom amount into their digital wallets.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) had previously remanded the eight suspects into police custody. The Investigating Officer informed the court that several accomplices—identified as Amad, Zaman, Muzamil, Ali Raza, Rasheed Lodhi, and others—remain at large and efforts are underway to apprehend them.
The case, registered at the Manghopir police station, includes charges under Sections 365-A (kidnapping or abducting for extorting property or valuable security) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), along with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are focusing on tracking down the remaining suspects to ensure justice is served.
