ISLAMABAD: The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the capital police on Friday arrested a man on the charge of trying to extort money from an Australian national of Pakistani origin.

Saleem Khan complained to the Ramna police on April 14 that he received a call from an unidentified person demanding Rs20 million from him on April 11.

Mr Khan said he worked as a lecturer in Australia and owned property in G-11 and F-6. He said the caller threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to pay the amount. In response, the police registered a case and handed over the investigation to the SIU.

The police said the SIU traced the culprit and arrested him on Friday. The police said the suspect was a native of Sargodha and was living in Bhara Kahu, Islamabad.

During the interrogation, it transpired that the suspect worked as a property dealer.

The accused told the investigators that seven months ago he visited Mr Khan at his house in F-6/1 as a property dealer and extracted information about him.

He said on April 11, he snatched a mobile phone from a Chinese national in front of Saudi Pak Tower and later used its SIM to make the extortion call to Mr Khan.

The Chinese national had also lodged a complaint about the incident with the Kohsar police station the same day.

The SIU recovered the mobile phone along with the SIM from the possession of the accused along with a motorcycle used in snatching the phone.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016