Police claim to have solved Kharadar bank robbery within 24 hours

Staffers who had stolen gold from the bank organised robbery to cover up their crime, says SHO

KARACHI: A day after a group of armed robbers looted cash and gold from a microfinance bank in the old city area, the police claimed on Wednesday to have solved the case and arrested nine suspects, including three bank staffers.

A branch of Apna Microfinance Bank on Napier Road, Kharadar was robbed on Tuesday. The bank officials claimed that three armed men had entered the bank and looted over Rs600,000 cash and gold while holding the bank staff hostage at gunpoint.

Following the incident, a joint team was formed, comprising officials and personnel of the district police and special investigation cell. The team claimed to have solved the case within 24 hours of the incident.



A total of nine suspects have been apprehended so far, Kharadar SHO Zafar Iqbal said, adding that three bank staffers were also among the arrested suspects who confessed to their involvement in the crime. The police also claimed to have recovered cash amounting to Rs300,000, 1.75 kilogrammes of gold and two pistols, including one that was snatched from the bank's security guard during the robbery.

The detained suspects included branch manager Habib Ahmed, assistant cashier Mushtaq Solangi, staffer Saima Sadaqat, Rizwan, Abdul Kareem, Sultan, Naqash, Rozina and Hawa Banu. The officer said the arrested bank staffers had stolen gold from the bank. Later, they organised robbery in the bank to cover up their crime, as the branch was to be audited soon. Cases were registered against the suspects while further investigations are under way.