KARACHI: The Sindh Rangers claimed to have arrested two target killers, who were also involved in extortion racket, during an operation in the provincial capital. The Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the Karachi police conducted the joint operation on Sunday. Two suspects belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were apprehended by the forces. The suspects were allegedly involved in extortion and targeted killings in the Saddar, Manghopir and Banaras areas of Karachi.

According to a press release, a trader complained that he was receiving calls demanding extortion money from different Afghan and Pakistani phone numbers. The suspects identified as Abdul Qadir and Muhammad Kamal Khan, were involved in extortion and targeted killings at the directives of TTP “terrorist officer” Khan alias Arshad residing in Afghanistan. The gang used to share the numbers of local traders in Karachi with Khan alias Arshad and used to receive the extortion money before sending it to Afghanistan.

It said that they would “kill or injure” those who rejected to pay the extortion money. “The initial investigations revealed that the suspects have confessed to sharing the numbers of five local traders, sending extortion slips and killing two traders for refusing to hand over the extortion money,” the statement said. Furthermore, it said raids were being conducted to arrest the suspects’ accomplices and the two arrested suspects had been handed over to the police for further investigations.