LAHORE: Layyah police claimed to have arrested a suspect allegedly involved in luring female students of a private commerce college in the city by offering them jobs and recording their objectionable videos to blackmail and exploit them.

As per the police, they received a complaint from a female student of a private college that an employee of the institution contacted her and offered her a job.

She alleged that the suspect called her at a private place and when she went there, he introduced her to two other men as his friends.

She said that the suspects served her a drink, after which she fainted.

She alleged that the suspects sexually assaulted her and also recorded her objectionable videos.

The complainant said the suspects later threatened her of dire consequences if she disclosed them and also blackmailed her for sexual favours.

She demanded action against the suspects.

Officials say that Layyah District Police Officer (DPO) Hassan Javed Bhatti took notice of the incident and constituted a police team to arrest the suspects.

They claim that the team conducted raids in different areas and arrested one of the suspects, recovering objectionable videos and audios from his phone.

The team also submitted a report to the court hearing the case and highlighted that the gang was involved in blackmail and sexual exploitation of several girls, including the complainant.

According to the report, some other persons, including the college owner, are also involved in the scam.

Police says that besides offering jobs, the suspects had also been luring the victims through false promises of marriage and a luxurious lifestyle.

The report further reveals that the suspects had been operating from multiple residences in Multan, Lahore, and Islamabad. It also mentions the use of drugs, including ice, to exploit the victims.

The DPO told Dawn that after the complaint by the college student, public announcements were made asking other victims to also come forward and lodge cases against the suspects.

He said that one of the three suspects has been arrested, while the two others have secured protective bail from the court.

He said that the complainant’s videos and images, used for exploitation, were recovered and sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis. The lab report would be submitted in the court, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2026