ISLAMABAD: The word ‘extortion’ was once specific to the metropolitan city of Karachi, especially since the ‘90s, but for the last a few years the crime has also increased in Islamabad.

The Tarnol police have arrested two men on the charge of extorting money from transporters.

The police said the suspects used to threaten and beat the transporters when they refused to pay them the money.

During the last two years, unidentified people extorted money from businessmen, real estate agents and traders in the capital.

In September 2013, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan took notice of the complaints regarding extortion in the fruit and vegetable market of Islamabad. Initially, a case was registered against seven Afghan nationals for their alleged involvement in the crime.

However, because of the pressure by the minister, the police had to book some officials of the police and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for their alleged involvement in collecting extortions from the traders.

Moreover, a number of businessmen were threatened through cracker blasts outside their houses and sending letters to them. According to police sources, some of the people paid extortions without informing the police while others reported the matter to the police.

In the latest incident, Faisal Shahzad, a public transporter, informed the Tarnol police that a gang of extortionists was operating at the Chungi No 26 transport stand. He alleged that the group demanded Rs700 from each public transport van and bus. The group threatened and beat up the transporters when they refused to pay the extortion.

Gang used to extort Rs700 from every transporter coming to Chungi No 26 bus stand

The police said they raided the transport stand and arrested two men and were trying to trace their accomplices. A case has also been registered against the gang.

Mr Shahzad, who runs a wagon from Islamabad to Mardan, told Dawn that the gang received money from every vehicle stopping at Chungi No 26.

“If we refuse to give them Rs700, the gang threatens us of breaking our bones and vehicles. I and other transporters had no other option but to pay the extortion,” he said.

“It is a general impression that the amount of extortion went to the police high-ups so the transporters never dared to file a complaint with the police. I had been paying the extortions for over a year and finally decided to raise a voice against the gang,” he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Shahzad said around 1,000 vehicles leave Chungi No 26 for Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Lahore and other areas daily.

When contacted, Asif Raza, the police investigation officer of the case, said: “According to rules, each public transport vehicle has to pay Rs20 at Chungi No 26 but the gang used to force the drivers to pay Rs700. Those who did not pay the extortion were beaten.”

He said usually the transporters paid the extortion and did not inform the police. After receiving an application, the police not only registered a case but also arrested two suspects, he added.

“The arrested suspects claimed that they used to collect the money on the instruction of a man who is currently in Lahore. The police are trying to arrest the man.”

Search operation

The Islamabad police arrested 14 suspected people during search operations in different parts of the city, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

The operations were carried out at slums, under-construction buildings, workshops, bus stands and inns in the limits of the Bhara Kahu, Aabpara, Golra and Tarnol police.

The police also arrested 10 alleged outlaws and recovered weapons and looted items from their possession.

The Aabpara and Sabzi Mandi police arrested three afghan nationals for illegally staying in Pakistan. The Kohsar police nabbed a man for decanting LPG into cylinders while the Bhara Kahu police rounded up a man after recovering a 30-bore illicit pistol along with ammunition from him.

The Industrial Area police arrested a man on the charge of theft. The Shehzad Town police recovered a Kalashnikov along with ammunition from another man and arrested him.

Published in Dawn March 2nd , 2015

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