Tie-wallah gang ‘undressing’ houses in DHA, Clifton

Police on the vanishing trail of six-member gang

KARACHI: A six-member gang has been looting and robbing households across Clifton, Defence and Gulshan-e-Iqbal for the last four years. According to the police, these robbers are experts in disguise. They are also notorious for carrying out robberies while dressed in suits, which is why they have become infamous as the “Tie wallah group”.

“The Tie-wallah group is as infamous as the White Corolla Car Group,” said Clifton SP Tariq Dharejo. All members of the gang are expert robbers. They never misbehave with the women in the house they are robbing. They always use an expensive car so that the police will have a tough time finding them, he explained. Numerous cases have been filed against all members of the gang in police stations across the city, Dharejo added.

Police officials said that they believe this gang has amassed so much wealth and money through their robberies that they are actually doing business in Malaysia. However, they have yet to get more information on this, added the officials.

The gang leader is Muhammad Imran Khan alias Bhurmal, who is a resident of Kolokhara in Kasur district. According to police records, Khan lives in North Karachi. He is on the list of most wanted criminals.

His second wife, Samar, used to work as a receptionist at the ISM Hospital before her wedding. Police records state that Samar’s mother, Nighat, used to work in a hospital as a maid.

Another member of the gang is identified as Farhan, who is Imran’s brother. He also lives in North Karachi with Imran.

The third member is Syed Afzal Ali while another member, Kamran, was recently killed in a police encounter.

Officials claim there are two other young criminals in the gang. Police also believe that the gang has contacts with an official in the jails department, who helps them out in tight spots.

The group operates early in the morning after the men of a household have left for office. All suited and booted, these men move around in a car. They often stop in front of a bungalow or house they plan to rob and try to get information from servants and those around the neighbourhood under the pretext of looking for directions.

“As soon as somebody is fooled into opening the gate, the job is made simple for them,” said an official. Once the door is opened, they use their weapons to hold anyone inside the house hostage and proceed to loot the entire house.

Dumping any and all valuables into plastic bags, the robbers escape with ease in their car. After spreading terror in Defence and Clifton, the group has now directed its attentions towards other parts of the city, said police officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2010.