Eight arrested in Swabi over displaying weapons on social media

SWABI: Police in Swabi have arrested eight TikTok users from different parts of the district for allegedly displaying weapons on social media, District Police Officer Waqas Rafiqe said.

The arrests were made on Thursday and Friday as part of a crackdown against young people who post pictures and videos of themselves with arms online, according to the district police officer. He said the campaign would continue across the district and warned that anyone found involved in such activity would be arrested and dealt with under the law.

According to DPO Rafiqe, the in-charge of Chowki Azamabad arrested one young man after he uploaded images and videos of himself brandishing weapons on social media. The suspect is a resident of Managai village.

The police officer said the accused was creating an environment of fear and promoting gun culture among young people. He added that weapons were recovered from the suspect after his arrest. A case has been registered and further investigation is under way.

Arrests made in several areas

The district police officer said other TikTok users were also arrested in different parts of Swabi after they were identified by the Social Media Monitoring Cell.

Those arrested included one person from Gandogher village who had displayed a Kalashnikov on social media, two individuals from Tat Corona Charbagh in Razaar tehsil, one from Kadi Rashkai, one from Pajman village, and two residents of Parmuli.

Police said the two men from Parmuli had been posing like movie heroes with weapons in their hands on social media.

had a negative impact on the young generation

Parmuli police officials used these words while explaining the effect of such videos, adding that the weapons shown in the clips had also been recovered.

DPO Rafiqe said the district police would continue action against those using social media to display arms, saying such conduct was contributing to fear and encouraging weapon culture among youth.

The arrests come as police in the district intensify monitoring of online content through the Social Media Monitoring Cell, which identified the suspects in the latest action.

Police have not announced any further details about the cases beyond the registration of a case against the Managai village suspect and the recovery of weapons from those arrested.