LAHORE – Two fake police officers allegedly abducted a man and honey-trapped him to extort money in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of the provincial capital, the local police said on Friday.
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations spokesperson said that the victim contacted the police emergency helpline 15 after being abducted and honey-trapped for money.
The suspects allegedly trapped the citizen through an online application and arranged a meeting with him. They then introduced themselves as police officers, forced him into a car and made him transfer more than Rs31,000.
The spokesperson said the suspects also contacted the victim’s brother and demanded money through an Easypaisa account. After receiving the amount, they abandoned the victim on Multan Road.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal police traced and arrested the suspects with the assistance of Safe City surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology.
The two suspects were taken into custody while the third suspect is still at large. The police also recovered the Toyota Corolla allegedly used in the crime.
The raids are being conducted to apprehend the absconding suspect.
A case has been registered against the accused at Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station, and further investigation is underway.
DIG Operations Faisal Kamran warned that strict action would be taken against individuals impersonating police officers to rob citizens.
He urged residents to avoid falling into traps set by strangers through online applications and advised them to immediately contact police helpline 15 in case of any suspicious activity or criminal incident.
