Extortion mafia active in Faisalabad without repercussions

FAISALABAD: In the busy Bhawana Bazaar of Faisalabad, an extortion mafia has made local traders and shopkeepers’ lives a living nightmare.

Members belonging to an extortion mafia raid the shops, extort money from the shop owners, and walk away with items of their choice without paying. If the shopkeepers try to stop them, they take out their gun, fire a few shots to scare away the protesters and flee unscathed in broad daylight.

According to a shop owner, who is among the victims of the mafia, a man called Naveed and his gang forcefully extort money from the shopkeepers. A CCTV footage showed a similar incident which took place on May 3: a suspect walked into a shop and started looting it. When the shop owner tried to stop him, the man started beating him up.

The shop owners and traders have registered a case against the incidents, but to no avail. It was only after they took to the streets in protest that the local authorities took notice of the extortion.