Pakistan Gang Rape Case: Cryptocurrency Dispute Allegedly Motivated Attack on Foreign Women
The investigation into the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of two foreign women in Pakistan has taken a new turn, with investigators examining whether a cryptocurrency dispute worth millions of dollars motivated the crime. The case involves Raza Dar, a relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is among the accused.
According to a statement recorded by one of the alleged victims, Astrid Gabriela Robinson Bracho, before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, armed men broke into her Lahore residence shortly after she and her friend Stephani Adriana arrived in Pakistan. The attackers demanded access to a computer containing cryptocurrency assets, she alleged.
"They asked where the computer with the money was, and I told them it was in the green bag," Astrid said, adding that Raza Dar continued demanding money and passwords. She further alleged that one of the attackers struck her on the head while another threatened to kill both women unless they handed over the funds. "He told me if we gave them the money, we would live. If we didn't, they would kill us," she said.
Astrid told the magistrate that she was later taken to an upstairs bedroom, where she alleged two men sexually assaulted her while another stood guard with a rifle. "They were laughing, slapped me and told me to keep quiet when I started crying," she alleged. She also claimed that Raza Dar used her mobile phone to contact acquaintances to obtain money. According to her account, no one initially responded, but later she learned that Stephani's mother had arranged $100,000. After the money was received, Dar informed them they were free to leave, returned their passports, and drove them towards the airport.
During the journey, Astrid alleged she overheard a phone conversation: "The boss's instructions are different." She claimed that after the vehicle crashed, she and Stephani escaped, screamed for help, and were rescued by passers-by who alerted a traffic police officer.
A Lahore court has remanded four suspects—Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan, and Sajid Ali—to five days of police custody. Investigators told the court they still need to recover weapons allegedly used in the crime and money connected to the case. The court directed police to complete their investigation and submit a report. The accused are due to appear again on July 8.
According to ARY News, citing judicial sources, the two foreign women may have already left Pakistan after recording their statements before the magistrate. Journalist Abid Khan said authorities have not disclosed their current whereabouts. If the women have departed, it could complicate the prosecution's case. Their statements have reportedly been sealed and remain in the magistrate's custody, with one copy handed over to investigators.
The case surfaced after Pakistani police arrested four men over the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of the women from the Netherlands and Venezuela. According to investigators, the women first met Dar in Singapore in October 2025 while working on a cryptocurrency project. Police allege that Dar later invited them to Pakistan on business visas. The women claim they were abducted shortly after arriving in Lahore on June 29, taken to a house, sexually assaulted, and held while money was demanded for their release.
