Armed robberies continue unabated in capital

Police warn car owners to secure their vehicles against car thieves

ISLAMABAD: Daylight robberies and snatchings are continuing unabated in the capital with the latest incident seeing gunmen loot over a million rupees from the franchise of a cellular company located at Khanna Pul.

Police said that two men, armed with pistols, had looted the franchise located on Lehtrar Road near Khanna Pul in broad daylight on Saturday.

CCTV footage shows the two men wearing helmets and carrying a pistol barging into the store. After holding up the store at gunpoint, they stuffed their bag with cash from the franchise before fleeing.

Koral SHO Inspector Nawaz Bhatti said that police have registered a case for the robbery and were working to trace the suspects but have so far found no clues.

He added that they will try other techniques to track the suspects, including technological tracing of the area.

Inspector Bhatti added that as per the statement recorded by the victims, the gunmen had looted Rs1 million from the franchise.

It is pertinent to note here that in recent weeks there have been several incidents of armed motorbike riders looting traders and commuters within the remits of Khanna and Koral police stations.

Three armed motorbike riders had looted Rs0.1 million and other valuables from a construction material trader in Burma Town in broad daylight on May 16.

Last month, two armed motorcyclists had mugged a shopkeeper on Lehtrar Road in a similar fashion

Earlier in March, two armed motorbike riders had deprived a man of Rs1.05 million in Ghauri Town phase-II.

Moreover, police said that four mugging cases were reported in the area during March.

Public warned of car thieves

Meanwhile, the capital police have advised citizens to take preventive measures to avoid their cars from being stolen.

In a brochure prepared to create awareness amongst the public about car thieves and associated preventive measures, the police have advised
car owners to install global positioning trackers in the cars along with alarm systems and secret ignitions in their cars.

Other measures which police say can be adopted by the public is to not park their cars or motorbikes outside their houses. Moreover, engine and chassis numbers should not be inscribed on the windscreen through sandblasting.

“The coil of the vehicle should be removed while parking vehicles outside and a clutch bar should be used for the additional safety of the vehicle. It should be ensured at the time of purchasing vehicles that all keys have been taken from the seller and to keep duplicate keys in your possession. American locks can be used under the steering of vehicles (mostly Suzuki vehicles) for their safety,” the police handout read.



It added that the registration number of vehicles, its colour and engine as well as the chassis number should be noted separately by the owner and it should be verified at the time of purchase from the anti-car lifting cell and Rescue 15 offices.

The documents of vehicles should be in custody of the owner and it should not be placed in the vehicle.

Further, the police advise to properly lock vehicles and to park them in a spot where the owner or its custodian can keep a constant eye on it.



Moreover, when visiting weekly bazaars, the parking token should be taken from the authorities deputed there and the vehicle should remain in view of the owner for at least five minutes after parking the vehicles because cars are usually lifted in the five minutes after they are parked.

Police also warned against handing keys of vehicles to workers at filling stations or to mechanics.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2018.