70-year-old man falls victim to honey trap, abductors demand Rs10m ransom

RAWALPINDI: A 70-year-old resident of Morgah, Rawalpindi, was reportedly lured into a honey trap and abducted by dacoits from the Kacha area, who later sent a video of him in handcuffs to his family on WhatsApp while demanding a heavy ransom.

According to Rawalpindi police, the abductors have demanded Rs10 million in cash, two iPhones, and two wristwatches as ransom for the release of the elderly man, identified as Mehmood Baig.

According to the police, the suspects also reportedly withdrew Rs300,000 from his bank account.

Morgah police have registered a case on a complaint of the victim’s son, Majid Qureshi.

Investigators said that the 70-year-old man was called to Multan on September 16 and later abducted by the dacoits.

He had parked his motorcycle near a friend’s house close to Multan Railway Station before disappearing.

Police said that the FIR was registered on October 1 and an investigation is under way.

The challenging terrain of the Kacha area, located along the Indus River, presents significant security hurdles and has long been associated with criminal activities including high-profile kidnappings and tribal disputes. The area’s inaccessibility during floods and fertile land when dry make it an attractive hideout for criminals seeking to evade law enforcement.

In August, in an incident of honey trapping, a 21-year-old man was allegedly gang-raped and robbed in Haripur after being lured into a meeting with a fake woman he had befriended on Facebook, police and sources confirmed.

The youth, a resident of Nagri Bala, had been in touch with a girl named Urooj on Facebook.

‘She’ invited him to meet near a deserted area close to the government garden within the limits of the City Police Station.

However, upon reaching the location, the man was ambushed by three armed men.The assailants allegedly beat him, gang-raped him at knifepoint, filmed the assault, and looted Rs35,000 in cash, a mobile phone, and a gift he had brought for the girl.