Pakistani teenager rescued after kidnap by fake Facebook friend

Eurasia News

Karachi: A 13-year-old boy who was kidnapped in the Pakistani city of Karachi after being lured into a meeting via Facebook has been rescued, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported)

Police said that a criminal gang masqueraded as an online gaming friend and abducted him after arranging to meet him last week. The gang demanded a $500,000 (£330,447) ransom. The gang first made contact with the boy online months ago, police are quoted as saying in local media reports.

He is reported to be the son of a senior customs official in the city. Police said they used  phone records to track the kidnappers. Four of the kidnappers were killed in the operation to rescue the boy.

The boy’s mother made an emotional plea to other parents to supervise their children’s use of social media: “This is my request to all the parents to never let their children make friendship on Facebook. “I beg you for God’s sake that you never do,” she said.