In a significant development, Lahore police successfully rescued two foreign women and detained four suspects accused of kidnapping, rape, sexual assault, and extortion. The operation was launched promptly following an emergency call from the family of one of the victims.
The women, one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela, had traveled to Pakistan to meet a friend. The First Information Report (FIR) registered at Defence-C Police Station reveals that the complainants, Stephanie Adriana Mau-Asam and Astrid Robinson Bracho, first encountered a Pakistani man named Muhammad Raza Dar in Singapore in October 2025.
Dar, who is reportedly closely related to a prominent Pakistani politician, invited the women to Pakistan and facilitated their visas. The Dutch woman’s father alerted authorities through the Emergency 15 helpline after learning about her abduction.
Lahore Police Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran stated that, with support from the Safe City Authority, police tracked the suspects and conducted a rescue operation that secured the women’s freedom. The case has been formally registered under FIR No 1560/26, charging the suspects with kidnapping for ransom and rape.
While four suspects have been apprehended, the police are actively searching for additional accomplices. Their identities remain undisclosed. The women have undergone medical examinations, and investigators are moving forward based on forensic and circumstantial evidence. Both victims have provided formal statements before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The FIR alleges that on June 29, Dar, along with his alleged superior and three other men, abducted the women, holding them captive while demanding a ransom of $1.5 million. They reportedly threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid. One of the suspects is closely linked to a high-profile political figure.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation is being conducted impartially, without yielding to political pressure, following directives from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The FIR details serious allegations: Astrid Robinson Bracho accused one suspect of repeatedly raping her, while two others sexually assaulted her. She also claimed that another suspect threatened her with a knife and sexually assaulted her using a firearm. Stephanie Adriana Mau-Asam alleged that one accused forced her to perform oral sex and attempted to rape her but stopped when she resisted. She further claimed that another suspect stripped her, threatened her with a broken mirror shard, and tried to inflict injuries.
The suspects reportedly threatened to kill the women and sell their body parts if their financial demands were unmet. Police continue their investigation and have been conducting raids to capture the remaining absconding suspects.
