Foreign women decline to surrender phones in Lahore assault case

Two foreign women, who had alleged they were abducted and raped by four Pakistani men in Lahore, have refused to hand over their cellphones for their forensics, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

On the other hand, the cellphones of the suspects have been sent for their forensics.

Sources told the 24News TV channel that the women could be questioned in connection with the case via a video link.

They further said that if deemed necessary, they could also be asked to come to Pakistan.

Sources said that all resources would be utilised to complete the investigation from all angles.

On Friday, a Lahore court granted to the police five-day physical remand of four men accused of kidnapping, extorting and raping two foreign women under the guise of a cryptocurrency partnership.

Cantonment Court Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood granted the five-day remand, turning down the police request for 14-day custody.

The suspects — identified as Muhammad Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sajid Ali and Sikander Khan — who were arrested earlier, were produced before the judge amid tight security.

During the hearing, the judge ordered the suspects to remove their facemasks for their identification.

According to police investigators, Stephanie Adriana Mau-Asam of the Netherlands and Astrid Robinson Bracho of Venezuela were lured to Pakistan involving cryptocurrency investments.

Police sources said that the suspects promised substantial profits to the two women from a shared digital currency partnership with a promise of future financial ventures and hence enticed them to travel to Lahore.

The victims arrived in Lahore on June 29 and were scheduled to depart on July 5.

Before their scheduled departure, the primary suspect, Raza Dar, allegedly took the women to an address in the upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighborhood.

Once inside, Dar and his accomplices allegedly held the women captive, demanding a $1.5 million payout.

While framed by the suspects as a cryptocurrency profit claim, police have booked the suspects on charges of kidnapping for ransom.

The case surfaced after the father of the Dutch national received a distress call from his daughter and contacted police on helpline 15 from abroad. 

Earlier, Lahore Police Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran confirmed that digital tracking through the Safe City Authority enabled law enforcement agencies to pinpoint the location and safely rescue both women on Thursday.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the Defence-C Police Station, the women initially met Dar in Singapore in October 2025, where he later facilitated their travel visas.

According to the FIR, Astrid Robinson Bracho alleged that she was repeatedly raped by one suspect and sexually assaulted by two others, stating she was threatened at knifepoint.

According the FIR, Stephanie Adriana Mau-Asam alleged that she fought off an attempted rape and was forced to perform oral sex.

She further stated she was stripped naked and threatened with shards of a broken mirror.

The complainants stated that their captors threatened to kill them and harvest their organs for sale if the $1.5 million demand was not met.

According to sources, the primary suspect, Raza Dar, is a close relative of a high-profile political figure. Earlier, the DIG had stated that the investigation was heading in a right direction without yielding to political interference, following explicit directives from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The victims have already undergone forensic medical examination and recorded their formal, legally binding testimonies before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure.

Police raids are under way to apprehend a fifth accomplice who remains at large. 

Meanwhile, two foreign women left Pakistan on Friday. 

Police said their medical reports had been received but would remain confidential because of the ongoing investigation.

“The investigation is continuing,” a police spokesperson said, adding that investigators would complete the probe in light of medical report.

Reporter: Waqas Ahmad