18 shopkeepers taken into custody from Karachi's Bolton Market for selling toy guns

KARACHI: Police took nearly 18 shopkeepers into custody for selling toy guns in a fresh wave of crackdown since the provincial government imposed a ban on the sale of toy guns in the city.

The crackdown against the toy gun sellers was launched Bolton Market, one of the major wholesale markets of the city.



A large contingent of police launched Saturday evening a crackdown in the market and arrested 18 shopkeepers for selling toy guns. Kalashnikovs, 9mm pistols and various other toy guns were being sold openly in the market and the demand for these has soared ahead of Eidul Fitr.

The arrested shopkeepers were booked under a violation of Section 144. The Sindh government slapped on Friday a ban on the sale of toy guns under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

These guns are said to be also be used in street crimes. A few years ago, the Sindh Assembly had also adopted a resolution to impose a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of toy guns as they were being misused and promoting negative practices among children.