A court in Lahore Cantonment on Wednesday prolonged the physical remand of four individuals accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two foreign women by an additional five days. The suspects were presented before Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood following the completion of their initial five-day remand.
During the hearing, the investigating officer requested the extension, citing the need for further interrogation to advance the inquiry. The magistrate approved the extension and instructed the police to finalize the investigation and bring the accused back to court on July 13.
Earlier, on July 3, the same court had granted police a five-day physical remand of the suspects, rejecting the initial request for 14 days in custody. The accused were produced under heavy security, and the judge ordered them to remove their face masks for proper identification.
Investigators revealed that Stephanie Adriana Mau-Asam, a Dutch national, and Astrid Robinson Bracho, a Venezuelan citizen residing in Spain, were lured to Pakistan with promises of lucrative cryptocurrency investment opportunities. The victims arrived in Lahore on June 29 and were originally scheduled to depart on July 2.
On July 5, police confirmed that the women, who had been allegedly abducted for ransom, managed to escape from a moving vehicle. Following this, the prime suspect surrendered under pressure from his family and law enforcement authorities.
During a press briefing, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran explained that the victims’ departure was delayed as police sought diplomatic assistance to complete medico-legal examinations and record statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He emphasized that allowing the women to leave without these procedures could have complicated the legal process.
Initially, police contacted the Spanish embassy, which clarified that one woman was a Venezuelan residing in Spain. Subsequently, coordination with the Dutch embassy provided necessary consular support. Female police officers also counseled the traumatised victims to encourage their cooperation with medical examinations.
Kamran noted that the Dutch embassy initially requested the women’s immediate departure and expressed concerns about the cost of rescheduling flights. To facilitate the investigation, Lahore police covered the rebooking expenses, allowing the victims to remain in Pakistan an extra day.
A Dutch embassy official was present when the women recorded their statements before the magistrate. The victims returned to their home countries on the night of July 3, expressing appreciation for the police’s handling of the case despite the trauma they endured. They even requested a Pakistani flag as a keepsake.
The kidnapping was first reported at 12:40 am on July 1. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz promptly directed investigators to swiftly trace the suspects, emphasizing that the priority in kidnapping-for-ransom cases is the safe recovery of victims.
Investigators tracked the prime suspect to a residence in Lahore’s Defence area, discovering through family records that he is related to a politician. Kamran stated that when individuals connected to senior public officials are involved, the matter is escalated to the highest authorities for oversight.
