Islamabad police have rescued four Chinese nationals who had been kidnapped for ransom after an encounter with a gang of criminals, police have confirmed.
Police had earlier arrested a suspect in a case registered at Shalimar Police Station and questioned him as part of an investigation by the capital police’s robbery and dacoity unit.
During questioning, the suspect told police that he and his accomplices had kidnapped four Chinese nationals from F-10/4 for ransom. He said that the group later moved the victims to Bangial, where they held them at a dairy farm.
According to the suspect, negotiations over the ransom for the release of the Chinese nationals were underway. He also offered to help police locate the farm where the victims were being held.
Police then formed a team to raid the farm. When the team reached Banigala, officers surrounded the premises. A suspect inside the farm opened fire on the police team, prompting panic in the area.
Police returned fire as the exchange continued. Officers later captured two kidnappers who were guarding the victims.
The police found the four Chinese nationals in an adjacent room of the farm, where the kidnappers had detained them. Officers took the victims into their custody and rescued them.
The raiding team later arrested four more members of the kidnapping gang and recovered weapons from them.
However, the gang’s ringleader escaped from the scene.
