Contract killing gang dismantled

RAWALPINDI: Police in Rawalpindi have arrested four men accused of planning a contract killing after intercepting one of their vehicles during routine checking, according to a police spokesperson.

The spokesperson said Naseerabad police stopped a suspicious vehicle and found weapons during a search. Officers also discovered that the vehicle was carrying a fake number plate. During questioning, the detained suspect told police he was part of a hired killer gang and had come to Rawalpindi with three accomplices to carry out the crime, the spokesperson added.

Police then arrested the three other suspects and seized weapons, two vehicles allegedly used in the operation, and Rs4 million believed to be part of the payment. Investigators said the four men had travelled from another province and that a resident of Haripur in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had allegedly hired them to target a citizen in Rawalpindi.

According to the investigation, the suspects were offered Rs2 million to kill the intended target in Rawalpindi, while the amount would rise to Rs5 million if the victim was first kidnapped and taken to Haripur before being killed. The spokesperson said police had formed teams to arrest the alleged contractor and had initiated legal proceedings.