Traders in Karachi have once again come under threat from extortionists after several businessmen in the New Karachi Industrial Area received extortion notes demanding huge sums of money, spreading fear and panic among the business community.
According to police, incidents of extortion have witnessed an alarming rise in Karachi’s Central district, particularly in the New Karachi Industrial Area. A sweets trader, identified as Bilal, was allegedly asked to pay Rs1 million in extortion money, while another trader, Sadiq, associated with the cigarette business, received demands for Rs1.5 million.
Police said separate cases have been registered at the New Karachi Industrial Area police station, and investigations are underway.
As per the FIR, an unidentified man visited a shop on the night of May 17, handed over an envelope containing an extortion note, and fled the scene. The note demanded Rs1 million and warned the trader to deliver the amount at 4K Chowrangi if he valued his life.
In another incident, an unidentified woman entered a shop, handed over an extortion note, and immediately escaped. CCTV footage of the incident, obtained by media outlets, shows a man and a woman arriving near the shop on a motorcycle. The woman can be seen entering the store, delivering the note, and quickly returning to the motorcycle before fleeing.
The extortionists allegedly demanded Rs1.5 million from trader Sadiq and threatened to kill both the father and son if they contacted police or informed anyone about the matter.
Following the back-to-back incidents, fear and uncertainty have gripped traders in the New Karachi Industrial Area. Police officials say investigations are ongoing from multiple angles to identify and arrest those involved in the extortion network.
