Crime spree: Locals block road after week’s fifth home invasion

HARIPUR:

Armed bandits deprived a homeowner of cash and valuables worth millions after taking the inmates hostage on Saturday night.

Local people blocked Khanpur Road in protest. Taimur Khan Niazi, a resident of Telephone Industries of Pakistan Housing Society, told the police that a little after 10pm, during load shedding hours, someone knocked at his front road. When he opened the door, five masked men armed with pistols and AK-47s barged into the house and held the inmates at gunpoint. The intruders took Rs50,000, 10 tolas of gold jewellery, a laptop, two computer LCDs and mobile sets before making their escape. The complainant estimated the loss at almost Rs1 million.

Local people staged protests on Sunday and chanted slogans against the security system and the local police. They accused the police of being hand in glove with criminals and demanded the speedy arrest of the thieves, who they claimed are responsible for looting four other houses in the same week, depriving the inmates of millions.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2012.