SAHIWAL: Farid Town police have arrested a police constable, and two others, including a girl, who allegedly used a ‘honey trap’ to entice a businessman and extorted Rs342,000 from him in April the last.

Police booked Constable Rana Akmal, his accomplice Rana Zia and a girl, Maham, on the complaint of a businessman, Arshad.

Farid Town SHO confirmed to Dawn that the constable had been running a gang comprising two to three girls, who would trap unsuspecting wealthy men and extorted money by blackmailing them.

Police sources say Maham would make phone calls to already identified wealthy men and develop friendship with them. Later, she would invite them to lunch or dinner and trapped them by taking intimate photographs with them.

The network, including girls would target rich businessmen

Complainant Arshad, owner of a rent-a-car business, says that as per the gang’s modus operandi, Maham developed friendship with him on phone, called him for a “date” at different places and snapped intimate photographs with him.

He says that on April 27, after having a dinner with Maham, he was kidnapped by Constable Akmal, who showed him the photographs and threatened to book him in dacoity and rape cases if his demands were not met.

Arshad says Akmal also introduced his accomplice Rana Zia to him as a police officer and they extorted money from him. As per the FIR, the suspects allegedly first deprived Arshad of Rs300,000 cash and later withdrew Rs43,000 from his bank account through his debit card.

The SHO says Akmal was also running a private torture cell where he would keep the victims until they paid him money.

He says further investigations into the scam were underway.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2024