KARACHI: Chief of the counter terrorism department (CTD) in Sindh Police, on Thursday divulged that the traders and business community of the seaside commercial capital of Karachi was still receiving calls for extortion from abroad.
According to reports, the Additional Inspector General of Counter Terrorism Department Dr Sanullah Abbasi has said that 68 businessmen and 31 doctors based in Karachi have received phone calls from abroad for extortion in the past five years. “During the same time span108 Karachiites were phoned for extortion from abroad — of which 36 callers were from South Africa and 24 were from Afghanistan,” the AIG was quoted by a section of media as saying here on Thursday.
“The number of extortion calls has gone down each year but a complete halt has yet to be seen,” he told. Thirty-one cases of extortion calls from abroad were reported in 2013, while the total for 2012 was 30. The figures declined to 25 and 13 in 2015 and 2016 respectively, whereas 6 such cases were reported in 2017. The figure for the current year stands at 3, with extortion calls made from the Netherlands, Afghanistan and Thailand.
“Local agents of foreign-based extortionists were arrested in Karachi, although no action has so far been taken against the extortionists themselves,” he said. “Pakistan will raise this matter at international forum,” Abbasi, adding the he will proofs to the international organizations. The police chief said his department will also seek assistance from Interpol. On July 26, 2017, while addressing a news conference here at Karachi Colonel Qaiser Khattak said two target killers have been arrested who have confessed to have killed two persons on July 17, in Orangi Town Karachi.
According to Rangers’ spokesperson the accused were in contact with South Africa Setup through social media whereas they have also received Rs50, 000 in their account.
“They had been doing wall chalking in favor of Altaf Hussain as well,” Khattak further informed, adding that they had received praise from MQM Chief through WhatsApp after the completion of “task” of killing two persons. He also played the audio recording of the MQM founder. “The MQM founder has praised those who killed the two people,” he said. “The times have changed now, the city does not get closed down on a phone call,” Col Qaiser said He said that a few banned outfits are working from Afghanistan. The Sindh Rangers spokesman said that evidence has been gathered in the recent attacks on policemen recently.