Investigators probing the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women in Lahore say the case may be driven by a multimillion‑dollar cryptocurrency dispute, and one of the accused is Raza Dar, a relative of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The development follows a statement recorded by one of the alleged victims, Astrid Gabriela Robinson Bracho, before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Astrid told the magistrate that armed men burst into the Lahore residence where she and her friend, Stephani Adriana, were staying soon after their arrival in Pakistan. She alleged the attackers restrained the women and repeatedly demanded access to a computer holding cryptocurrency assets. “They asked where the computer with the money was, and I told them it was in the green bag,” she said, adding that Raza Dar kept demanding money and passwords.
She said one attacker struck her on the head and another threatened to kill them unless the funds were handed over. “He told me if we gave them the money, we would live. If we didn’t, they would kill us,” Astrid told the magistrate.
Astrid further alleged that she was later taken to an upstairs bedroom where two men sexually assaulted her while another guarded the door with a rifle. “They were laughing, slapped me and told me to keep quiet when I started crying,” she said. She also accused Raza Dar of using her mobile phone to call acquaintances to demand money.
According to her account, initial calls produced no response, but she later learned Stephani’s mother had arranged $100,000. Astrid said that after the money was received, Dar told them they were free to leave, returned their passports and drove them toward the airport. During the journey she claimed to have overheard someone say, “The boss’s instructions are different.” She said a vehicle crash allowed the two women to escape; passersby alerted a traffic police officer who helped them.
A Lahore court has remanded four suspects — Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali — to five days of police custody. Investigators told the court they still need to recover weapons allegedly used in the crime and money believed linked to the case. The court ordered police to complete the probe and submit a report; the accused are due to appear again on July 8.
ARY News, citing judicial sources, reported the two foreign women may have left Pakistan after recording their statements. Journalist Abid Khan said authorities have not disclosed their whereabouts and warned that their departure could complicate prosecution. Their Section 164 statements have reportedly been sealed, with one copy given to investigators.
Police say the case surfaced after they arrested four men over the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two women from the Netherlands and Venezuela. Investigators say the women first met Dar in Singapore in October 2025 while working on a cryptocurrency project, and allege he later invited them to Pakistan on business visas. The women claim they were abducted shortly after arriving in Lahore on June 29, taken to a house, sexually assaulted and held while money was demanded. The probe is ongoing.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/crypto-horror-in-gang-rape-case-linked-to-pakistan-deputy-pms-relative-11727977#publisher=newsstand
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-07-05 00:15:00
