The investigation into the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women in Pakistan has taken a new turn, with investigators probing a possible cryptocurrency controversy as part of a case involving a relative of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.The development comes after one of the victims, Astrid Gabriela Robinson Bracho, recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), alleging that prime accused Raza Dar had received US$100,000 for her release.According to the statement obtained by ARY News, Astrid told the magistrate that after reaching Lahore, armed men stormed the house where she and her friend Stephanie Adriana were staying.He alleged that the attackers tied him up and locked him in a room, while Raza Dar repeatedly demanded access to computers and cryptocurrency funds.“They asked where the computer with the money was, and I told them it was in the green bag,” he said, adding that Raza Dar kept demanding the money and password.Astrid further alleged that one of the armed men hit her on the head, while the other threatened to kill both women if she did not pay them the money.“He told me that if we gave them the money, we would live. If we didn’t, they would kill us,” she said in her statement.The complainant also alleged that she was taken to a bedroom on the second floor, where three men entered the room. She claimed that two of them sexually assaulted her while another suspect stood guard with a rifle.“They were laughing, they slapped me and when I started crying, they asked me to keep quiet,” she alleged before the magistrate.According to his statement, Dar had allegedly used his mobile phone to send messages to his contacts demanding money. He said no one responded initially, but later Stephanie’s mother told him she had arranged for US$100,000.Astrid alleges that on the last day of their captivity, Dar told her that he had found the money and they were free to go. He claimed that he returned their passports and drove them to the airport.During the journey, he alleged that Dar was talking to someone on the phone when the person on the other end said, “The boss has different instructions.”She further said that after the vehicle crashed, she and Stephanie jumped out, screamed for help and were eventually rescued after members of the public informed a traffic police officer.
Crypto controversy under investigation
Investigators are also probing whether the case stems from a cryptocurrency controversy.According to sources familiar with the investigation, Raza Dar and two women were involved in financial transactions worth about US$1.5 million (about Rs 450 million) related to cryptocurrencies.Police are investigating allegations that Dar had taken the women to Pakistan under false pretenses before allegedly hatching the kidnapping plot. Investigators also claim that she involved herself in the alleged kidnapping to make the incident appear real.Officials have stressed that the investigation is ongoing and no final conclusions have been made. The cryptocurrency controversy and the alleged kidnapping plot remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Four accused were sent to police custody
Earlier, a Lahore court had handed over four suspects Raza Dar, Hasan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali to the police on five-day physical remand.The police told the court that the weapons and alleged proceeds of crime have not yet been recovered and sought custody for further investigation.The court approved the request and directed the investigators to complete the investigation and submit a report. The accused are to be produced in court again on July 8.
The victims may have left Pakistan
Meanwhile, ARY News, citing judicial sources, reported that both the foreign women have already left Pakistan after recording their statements.Journalist Abid Khan said the women’s current whereabouts were unknown and authorities had kept all details about them confidential.He said that if the victims had indeed left the country, their absence could weaken the prosecution’s case.The statements of the victims have reportedly been sealed and are in the custody of the magistrate, with a copy provided to the police.
What is the matter?
The matter came to light when Pakistani police arrested four people, including Deputy PM Ishaq Dar’s relative Raza Dar, in connection with the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women from the Netherlands and Venezuela in Lahore.According to the police, the women met Raza Dar in October 2025 while working on a cryptocurrency venture in Singapore. Dar later invited him to visit Pakistan and arranged for a business visa for his visit.The women alleged that they were abducted soon after their arrival in Lahore on June 29, taken to a house, sexually assaulted and held for ransom. Police said the investigation is ongoing.