CIA apprehends infamous ‘Sheri’ gang

Members posed as law enforcement officials and looted citizens

LAHORE: The Iqbal Town Anti-Organised Crime Cell (CIA) on Monday claimed to have arrested 11 members of a gang involved in looting people by posing as law enforcement officials.

The men were donning uniforms of law enforcement agencies and barging into homes on the pretence of conducting search operations, revealed CIA Superintendent Nadeem Abbas at a press conference at the Investigations Headquarters. The accused were members of the ‘Ali Sher’ gang which was also known as ‘Sheri’. They were wanted for committing robberies in rural and urban centres of Punjab, said Nadeem.

Wearing official uniforms, the men would barge into people’s houses on the basis of conducting a search operation. Once inside, they would take the people hostage and loot them of their cash, ornaments and other valuables such as livestock and tractors, stated Nadeem. Their actions have not only created fear and panic among citizens but have also defamed state institutions, he expressed.



Apprehending the men was a huge challenge, said Nadeem. He also lauded the efforts of Iqbal Town CIA Deputy Superintendent Syed Riaz Ali Shah for his efforts.

When interrogated, the accused men revealed that they had committed many robberies in Batapur, Manawan, Barki, Hadiara and Defence in Lahore. They also confessed to doing so in Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Okara and other districts of Punjab.

Police have traced 26 cases of murder and robbery to these men. Moreover, police confiscated cash totalling Rs70 million, gold, tractors, rickshaws and motorcycles. In addition to this, they also confiscated weapons found in the accused’s custody. Several Kalashnikovs, ,222 rifles, 12 repeater guns and 30 pistols used during robberies were seized.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2018.