Four suspects in foreign women's abduction and rape case sent to jail on 14-day remand

A judicial magistrate in Lahore has ordered a 14-day judicial remand for four suspects accused of kidnapping and raping two foreign women, one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela. The case, registered on July 2, involves allegations of abduction and sexual assault, with the suspects initially placed on a five-day physical remand on July 3. Their remand was extended twice before Friday's hearing, where the investigating officer requested their transfer to judicial custody. The court granted this request, sending the four individuals to jail for two weeks. During the proceedings, a prosecutor argued against discharging one suspect, citing alleged evidence destruction and complicity in the offense. The judge noted that while only one suspect was named in the initial police report (FIR), the other three were identified by the victims. The FIR states the women were abducted by five suspects, including a relative of a senior political figure, who allegedly demanded $1.5 million in ransom before sexually assaulting them. The Dutch victim's statement detailed her arrival in Pakistan on June 26, 2026, with her friend, invited by a business partner met in Singapore in October 2025. The primary suspect, claiming government connections, allegedly facilitated their visas under the pretense of investor meetings. After initial business activities in Islamabad, they traveled to Lahore on June 29. The suspect then lured them to a house, where four armed men stormed in. The victims were tied, assaulted, and allegedly threatened with death and organ sales if ransom demands were not met. The prime suspect reportedly transferred $17,000 in cryptocurrency from one victim's phone while coercing her to send pleas for money. The victim managed to include a distress code word, "CARLITOS," in her messages, alerting authorities. On June 30, one victim reported being sexually assaulted. On July 1, the suspects drove the women away, but the Dutch victim, tracking their route, realized they were being taken to a secondary location. The women escaped the moving vehicle during a minor collision and sought refuge in a mechanic's shop, where a traffic police officer assisted them. Despite initial panic, senior police officials and a female officer calmed the victims, presented evidence of ongoing tracking, and secured their statements.