Police on Thursday unearthed the plot behind the staged abduction of the son of an Airport Security Force (ASF) official and revealed that the alleged victim had actually staged his own abduction to demand money for purchasing expensive mobile phones and a new motorcycle, DawnNews reported.

Civil Lines Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kazim Naqvi said that ASF Assistant Director Tariq Parvez's son Shaheer Tariq went missing from Rawalpindi on January 3 under mysterious circumstances. Subsequently, the 'abductors' contacted the parents through the chat messenger of a social media website, demanding that they pay up Rs0.6 million in ransom.

The DSP told DawnNews that at first, the boy's father did not report the matter to the police, although a case of abduction against unspecified suspects was registered later on.

The abductors directed that the ransom money should be dropped in the open space behind the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rawalpindi's office — a deed when done by the father saw his abducted son return home.

During its initial investigation, police had already declared the abducted as the 'conspirator' of the abduction — an assessment that later proved accurate.

Following his return, the boy — now the prime suspect — was investigated, during which he spilled the beans, not only confessing to the crime but also naming four of his college friends as accomplices.

The quintet had bought three expensive mobile phones and a motorcycle from the ransom they received — Rs200,000 of which was recovered by police.

The boy told DawnNews that neither did his father allow him to keep a mobile phone nor was there a motorcycle at home, due to which he staged the entire drama. "But I am now ashamed," he rued. "I should not have done this to my family members."

DSP Naqvi said Rawalpindi Police had acquired the assistance of Federal Investigation Agency's cyber crime cell, adding that the difficulty in tracing targets via social media and the father's refusal to cooperate kept them from locating the boy before the drop was made.

The case's central character and his four collaborate will be sent to the jail on judicial remand after being presented before the court on Friday.