Karachi police have arrested four men suspected of blackmailing girls after allegedly raping and filming them, a senior police official told Dawn on Friday.

Karachi West Zone DIG Amir Farooqi said police had received complaints from parents regarding the alleged involvement of four suspects in raping and making objectionable videos of girls.

Subsequently, police had launched a manhunt for the arrest of suspects and were able to locate and detain them on Thursday from Samanabad area of the metropolis, he said.

Objectionable video of a girl was also seized from the possession of one detained suspect, revealed the DIG, adding that illegal arms were also recovered from their possession.

According to the senior police official, photographs of the suspects posing with arms were also found on their respective social media accounts.

DIG Farooqi said so far the parents of victims have shown reluctance on becoming complainants in the First Information Report (FIR) against the arrested men, "ostensibly on account of shame".

He explained that police could not investigate this aspect [of rape and pornography] "unless the parents agree to make a formal complaint, therefore, for now, a case has been registered over possession of illegal weapons".

Meanwhile, during the initial investigation, the accused ‘confessed’ involvement in such activities during the past two years. In this period they had allegedly raped four girls and also recorded videos of them.

Meanwhile, the accused were presented before a judicial magistrate who approved their judicial remand till March 28.