Busted: Edhi Foundation robbery suspect arrested

KARACHI:

A key suspect allegedly involved in the country's biggest robbery at Edhi Foundation a year ago has been arrested by the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC).

The accused, Umair Shah, was arrested during a targeted raid conducted at his hideout in Korangi. His arrest was disclosed during a press conference at the ACLC office by the cell's chief, Irfan Bahadur. "He escaped to Dubai after committing the robbery," explained SSP Bahadur. "We got a tip-off about his arrival back to the country." Gold worth millions of rupees along with local and foreign currency were looted by a group of armed men at Edhi Foundation's head office in Kharadar in 2014. Shah's accomplices have already been arrested by the police in previous raids. SSP Bahadur said that the police also recovered five kilogrammes of gold buried at the hideout of the suspect, adding that the recovered gold was looted from Edhi Foundation.

Meanwhile, the ACLC also arrested six more suspects, identified as Muhammad Naeem, Irfan, Usman, Abid, Atif Masih and Shahzad, allegedly involved in various cases of vehicle lifting.

On the other hand, Saddar division of the District South police claim to have busted a gang allegedly involved in motorcycles and rickshaws' lifting.

The suspects included Sher Muhammad, Asghar, Javed, Faizan and Tahir. Their arrests were disclosed during a press conference held by Saddar division SP Shabbir Sethar at his office on Tuesday. SP Sethar said that this five-member gang was involved in stealing of motorcycles and rickshaws from the parking zones of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Civil Hospital, Karachi. After stealing the vehicles, the suspects later sold them to scrap dealers in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2015.