KARACHI: The prime suspect in the crypto trader kidnapping case was arrested and remanded in police custody by an antiterrorism court on Tuesday.

Ali Raza, said to be a head constable in the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), was produced before the ATC for remand.

The investigating officer informed the court that the suspect’s police custody was required to conduct an identification parade and recover the remaining digital currency worth $120,000. The court remanded him in police custody for seven days.

Statement of kidnap victim recorded

A judicial magistrate recorded the statement of Arsalan Malik, the kidnap victim and complainant of the case, under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code in the presence of all suspects.

Complainant’s counsel Barrister Uzair Ghouri told Dawn that the police had failed to record the “exact verbatim” statement of his client, which is why he sought to have his statement recorded before the magistrate.

Mr Malik was abducted on Dec 25, 2024 in a police mobile bearing no number plate by five men in plain clothes. They brought him near the FIA Saddar office, forcibly got opened his Binance account and transferred digital coins worth $340,000 into different digital wallets/accounts and released him.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2025