893 Extortion Cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 871 Arrests, 610 Suspects Recovering in Afghanistan

Extortion incidents have increased alarmingly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has registered 893 extortion cases against proscribed organisations and criminal groups. Of these, 871 accused have been arrested, 88 have died and 69 have been sentenced by the courts. Also read: Three terrorists killed in CTD operation in Khyber
According to the report released by the CTD, a total of 1,569 people have been named in extortion cases registered from 2014 to this year. Out of these, 580 cases have been investigated, in which 871 people involved in extortion were arrested. 88 extortionists were also killed during various operations. The worrying aspect is that 610 of the 1,569 named suspects are in hiding, with the majority reported to be in Afghanistan. According to the CTD, these clandestine elements send threatening calls and letters to businessmen, industrialists and political figures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through Afghan numbers seeking alimony. The CTD report further revealed that so far 99 cases have been reported through helpline from six districts of the province, including 61 from Peshawar, 15 from Mardan, 11 from Malakand, 10 from Bano and one each from Hazara and Kohat. Read more: 293 terrorists killed, 878 arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 8 months, CTD report released
According to the authorities, search operations are underway to arrest the hidden suspects and contacts with the relevant national and international agencies have been increased to make the operations more effective against them. The CTD has resolved that these elements will be brought under the purview of the law to maintain law and order in the province.