10 gang members, political workers held in raids

The political activists are wanted in several cases of target killings

KARACHI: At least 10 suspects, including members of a political party and Lyari gangs, were apprehended during targeted raids and operations by the police and Rangers on Saturday.

Four members of Lyari gangs were arrested by the Taimuria police, disclosed District Central SSP Noman Siddiqui during a press conference at his office. They were identified as Irfan, Imran, Abid Ali and Saleem. A Kalashnikov, a TT pistol and three hand grenades were reportedly seized from their possession.

SSP Siddiqui said that members of various Lyari groups had moved to different parts of the city following the law enforcement operation against them in the area. He added that the suspects were arrested after an exchange of fire when the police conducted a raid in the KBR Society on a tip-off. According to SSP Siddiqui, the suspects revealed that they had killed around 28 people, including political party workers and those who refused to pay extortion money. He said that the detained men belonged to the Wasiullah Lakho and Asif Mirza groups. Cases were registered against them.

Separately, three members of the militant wing of a political party were arrested by the Rangers during a targeted raid conducted on a tip-off in the Akal Bonga area of the Old City. A Rangers spokesperson said that the arrested men were involved in various cases of target killing and claimed that the Rangers had also confiscated a large cache of weapons from them, including light machine guns, a uni-barrel rocket launcher and hand grenades. The suspects were shifted to an undisclosed location for questioning. Meanwhile, three more suspected gang members were arrested during a raid conducted in Lyari's Zikri Muhalla. The suspects were identified as Raheem Baloch, Aka alias Baba Lamba and Danish. According to sources, the raid was conducted by the intelligence agencies. Two of them were arrested in an injured condition, and two Kalashnikovs, two 9mm pistols and around a thousand bullets were reportedly seized from their possession. The suspects were taken to an undisclosed location.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2014.