CID arrests Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant

KARACHI: Security officials have detained Saleem Qaiser Baloch, an alleged member of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, from Lee Market on Tuesday.

According to the police, the suspect is accused of being involved in more than 50 bank robberies, dacoities and other incidents of street crime. Baloch was arrested from a house in the limits of the Kala Kot Police Station by a Crime Investigation Department (CID) team led by DSP Chaudhry Safdar. The officers were alerted about his location by an informer.

He is also said to have been involved in the robbery at Memon Goth, in which more Rs3.2 million were stolen. CID officials said that Qaiser Baloch alias Bhainga, son of Qaiser Ali, had just one pistol and bullets on his person at the time of his arrest. The man also gave the names of his accomplices who had helped him in the Memon Goth robbery. He identified them as Tariq alias Talha, Rashid, Sajid alias Abdul Basit, Naseer Baloch and Asif Baloch. He confessed during interrogation to have been involved in more than 50 crimes.

According to the CID, Baloch also said that he provided financial support to Lashkare- Jhangvi, a banned militant organisation, with the money he stole. An FIR, no 103/2010, has been registered against him under section 13/D at the CID Police Station. SP CID Fayyaz Khan told The Express Tribune that Baloch used to collect funds for militants.

“He was one of the few people who robbed both banks and people to collect money for the organisation and improve their outfit,” Khan said Baloch and his accomplices also used this stolen money to help their friends who are imprisoned in jails.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 12th, 2010.