In a significant development in Lahore, two foreign women abducted for ransom managed to escape from a moving vehicle, leading to their rescue by local police. The prime suspect subsequently surrendered under pressure from his family and law enforcement authorities.
The victims, Venezuelan nationals holding Spanish residency, were originally scheduled to leave Pakistan on July 2. However, police intervened to delay their departure to complete medico-legal examinations and record statements under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Authorities emphasized that allowing the women to leave without these procedures would have caused legal complications.
Initially, Lahore police contacted the Spanish embassy, which clarified that the women were Venezuelan citizens residing in Spain. Coordination then shifted to the Dutch embassy, responsible for providing consular assistance in this case. Female police officers played a crucial role by counseling the traumatized women and convincing them to undergo the necessary medical examinations.
Although the Dutch embassy initially urged the victims to depart immediately and expressed concerns about the cost of changing their flight tickets, Lahore police covered the re-ticketing expenses to allow the women to remain in Pakistan an extra day. A Dutch embassy official was present when the victims recorded their statements before a magistrate. The women eventually returned home on the night of July 3, expressing gratitude for the police’s handling of the case despite the traumatic experience. They even requested a Pakistani flag as a keepsake.
The kidnapping was first reported at 12:40 a.m. on July 1, prompting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to order swift action to apprehend the suspects. Authorities prioritized the safe recovery of the victims, a standard protocol in kidnapping-for-ransom cases.
Investigations led police to a residence in Lahore’s Defence area, where the prime suspect was found to be a relative of the deputy prime minister. Given the suspect’s connection to a senior government official, the case was escalated to the highest levels of authority. Police contacted the suspect’s family, who urged him to surrender.
The suspect later told the women that ransom money had been paid and offered to drive them to the airport. However, during the journey, the women resisted and struggled inside the vehicle, resulting in a crash. They escaped and ran to safety while the suspect fled. Police established contact through an associate and secured the suspect’s surrender.
Following the arrest of the prime suspect, four alleged accomplices were also detained. Investigators recovered one victim’s mobile phone, the vehicles used in the crime, as well as the women’s handbags and bank cards. All suspects were presented in court in handcuffs to obtain physical remand.
During the press briefing, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran apologized to the judiciary over a procedural issue involving the duty magistrate during the recording of the victims’ statements. He clarified that police acted to avoid investigation delays and denied reports of raiding the magistrate’s residence, explaining that officers only attempted to contact the magistrate, who responded upon entry.
Kamran identified a man named Waheed, described as a “goon-type individual,” as the mastermind behind the kidnapping. One of the victims identified Waheed’s photographs as the “boss.”
The press conference concluded with a heated exchange between two groups of journalists, prompting DIG Kamran to end the session prematurely and leave the venue.
