Victims Record Statements Before Judicial Magistrate
Two foreign women have recorded detailed testimonies before a judicial magistrate in Lahore, describing an alleged multi-day ordeal involving kidnapping, extortion, physical assault, and sexual abuse during their visit to Pakistan.
The statements were recorded at the cantonment courts on Thursday. On the same day, police registered a case against five suspects after the women were rescued.
Four suspects have been arrested so far. They have been sent on a five-day physical remand. One of the arrested suspects is reportedly a close relative of a senior political figure.
The complainant, a citizen of the Netherlands, recorded her voluntary statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The case was registered at Defence C Police Station.
The FIR includes serious charges under the Pakistan Penal Code, including rape and kidnapping for extortion.
According to the Dutch victim, she and her Venezuelan friend arrived in Pakistan on June 26, 2026. They said they came at the invitation of a local business partner whom they had first met in Singapore in October 2025.
The suspect allegedly invited them under the pretext of arranging meetings with high-profile investors for their business venture.
Victims Say They Were Lured to Empty Lahore House
The women first stayed at a hotel in Islamabad for three days. During that time, they visited Nathia Gali and attended business presentations.
On June 29, they travelled to Lahore by car.
According to the victim’s statement, the suspect took them to a modern house in Lahore, claiming they were going to attend a relative’s birthday event. However, the house was empty when they arrived.
Shortly after entering the residence, armed men allegedly stormed the house. The women claimed they were tied up, assaulted, and held captive.
The Dutch woman alleged that the primary suspect initially pretended to be a fellow victim. Later, she said, it became clear that he was working with the armed group.
The captors allegedly demanded huge ransom payments. The demand reportedly began at $2 million.
The victims said they were threatened with death if they failed to arrange the money.
The Dutch woman also claimed that the suspects forced her to transfer $17,000 in cryptocurrency from her accounts.
She said she was made to send urgent voice messages to family and friends asking for money. During those messages, she used a pre-decided distress code word to alert her family in Europe.
Her family then informed international and local law enforcement agencies.
Women Escape After Jumping From Vehicle
The Dutch victim stated that on July 1, the main suspect drove them away, claiming he was taking them to the airport.
However, she said she secretly tracked the route on a hidden mobile phone and realised they were not being taken to the airport.
Fearing they were being moved to another location, the women began shouting for the vehicle to stop.
After the vehicle slightly collided with another car, the women jumped out and ran into a nearby mechanic’s shop for help.
A traffic police officer saw the distressed women and called emergency backup.
Police later reached the scene. Senior officers and a female police official also arrived and helped calm the victims.
The women were then taken safely to the police station, where their official statements were recorded.
The second victim, a Venezuelan citizen, also gave a separate testimony. Her statement supported the account shared by the Dutch complainant.
She said she had met the prime suspect at a cryptocurrency event in Singapore and trusted him because of his claimed political connections.
She alleged that the suspect built credibility by claiming links with powerful government figures.
The Venezuelan woman also alleged that the captors questioned her about computer access, financial assets, and cryptocurrency accounts.
She further claimed that the women faced threats, harassment, and sexual assault during captivity.
The magistrate sealed the statements after confirming that the victims had recorded them voluntarily and without pressure.
Police are now pursuing legal action against the suspects as the investigation continues.
