Karachi police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested four suspects, including a city warden, over charges of their involvement in kidnappings and extortion.

A joint team of Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC), Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and city district police carried out a raid in Kalri area of Lyari and arrested two kidnappers, namely Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Iqbal and recovered two TT pistols from their custody, said City SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio and AVCC SSP Abdullah Ahmed.

Speaking at press conference at his office, the City SSP said the held suspects during initial probe “confessed” to their involvement in several short-term kidnapping cases and receiving ransom through mobile banking services.

They allegedly kidnapped a citizen in Baghdadi area of Lyari on November 19 and received ransom from his family.

On December 16, the held suspects kidnapped a motorcyclist near Central Police Office and released him after getting Rs40,000 ransom from his family, also through mobile banking services.

They also abducted a citizen from Lasbella Chowk and obtained ransom by threatening his family members.

SSP Chandio said that this gang was involved in short-term kidnappings since last six to eight months but the ransom amount they tended to ask for was so low that the victims did not approach police.

He revealed that when one such victim reported a case at Kharadar police station, a joint team of CPLC, AVCC and city police started investigating the matter and traced and arrested the suspects.

City warden, other suspects held over extortion

Separately, Risala and Docks police arrested two suspected extortionists, Fareed Ahmed Sabir and Mohammad Shahab and recovered one pistol and a motorbike from their custody.

Sabir is employed as a city warden, revealed SSP Chandio.

They had allegedly demanded Rs0.5 million as bhatta (extortion) from an old city area trader, Usman Ghani, and had threatened him of dire consequences in case of non-payment.

The police also seized SIMS of different mobile companies from their custody, which were being used to carry out criminal activities.

SPP Chandio revealed that an organised gang was allegedly trying to extract bhatta from traders of the old city areas.