Lahore police arrested four men on July 5, 2026, in connection with the alleged kidnapping, gang rape, and extortion of two foreign women. The victims, Stephanie Adriana Mo-Asim of the Netherlands and Astrid Robinson Bracho of Venezuela, were rescued shortly after authorities received an emergency call.

The arrests occurred within two hours of Lahore Police's Rescue 15 emergency helpline receiving an overseas call from Spain. The father of one of the victims reported his daughter and her friend had vanished and that his family was receiving ransom demands originating from Lahore. Police then traced the women to a residence in the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) neighborhood, rescued them, and apprehended four suspects: Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan, and Sajid Ali. Law enforcement continues to search for a fifth suspect, identified by police sources as Ali Dar.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the women had traveled to Pakistan on June 29, 2026, after accepting an invitation from Muhammad Raza Dar. They had first met Dar in Singapore in October 2025. Dar, identified as a relative of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, facilitated their Pakistani visas prior to their arrival. The complaint alleges that shortly after arriving, the women were taken to the DHA residence where they were unlawfully confined, repeatedly sexually assaulted, robbed, and threatened with knives and a firearm. Information obtained by The Media Line indicates the suspects demanded a $1.5 million ransom from the victims' families, while additional sources state one victim claims Dar demanded $100,000 for their release. Investigators are also exploring if Dar lured the women to Pakistan for a $1.5 million cryptocurrency deal.

Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran stated that medical examinations of the victims found evidence of rape. Kamran also addressed concerns regarding Muhammad Raza Dar's connection to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. "Even if he is related to him, the law is equal for everyone. The police are under no pressure, and the operation was carried out on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz," Kamran said. A Lahore court has placed the four arrested suspects on physical remand to allow investigators to collect forensic evidence, and the court directed authorities to present the suspects again on July 8, 2026, along with a progress report on the investigation. "We have obtained the physical remand of the four suspects to recover the weapons allegedly used in the crime," Kamran added.