Two notorious “honey trap” gangs busted, 16 arrested among cops

RAWALPINDI, Apr 22 :The Rawalpindi Police on Tuesday busted two notorious “honey trap” gangs and arrested 16 individuals, including women and police officials allegedly involved in illegal activities.
SSP Operations Rawalpindi Police, Kashif Zulfiqar, while addressing a press conference at Police Lines Headquarters underscored that the suspects were using social media platforms to lure and trap citizens.
SSP Operations Kashif Zulfiqar revealed that the operation was jointly carried out by Saddar Barooni and Sadiqabad Police.
The crackdown led to the recovery of Rs750,000 in cash and several illegal weapons.
Saddar Barooni Police arrested Marina Khan gang, a woman of Pakistani origin from East Africa, along with five accomplices of her husband Bilal, and gang members Farooq, Tayyab, Kamran, and Abdul Jabbar.

The gang used social media to lure victims, inviting them to private locations. Once the victims arrived, they were robbed at gunpoint, he added.
The Police recovered Rs250,000 and unauthorized weapons from their possession, he said.
The suspects, he said have reportedly confessed to multiple crimes.
Similarly, Sadiqabad Police apprehended 10 suspects from another gang led by Aftab alias Tabi.
The gang included women and allegedly some police officials. The arrested individuals were identified as Aftab, Hamza, Shan, Hajra, Uzma, Mubashir, Raza Abbas, Fazl Abbas, Noman, and Afzal whereas this gang operated a blackmail racket.
According to SSP Operations, Hajra and others contacted victims via social media, invited them to private meetings, and secretly recorded compromising photos and videos.
“These were then used to extort large sums of money. However, the Police have also recovered Rs500,000 and weapons from their custody,” he added.
SSP Zulfiqar confirmed that some police personnel were also aiding the gang, and investigations were underway.
He warned that more arrests and recoveries were expected in the coming days.
He praised the efforts of the police teams involved and stressed a zero-tolerance policy against criminal activity.
“We will not tolerate any criminals, no matter who they are,” he stated.
The Rawalpindi Police have urged the public to be remain cautious while interacting on social media and report any suspicious activity.