Police arrest 9 members of a dacoit group

The suspects, allegedly involved in over a 100 robberies, include four 'domestic servants'

KARACHI: Gulshan-e-Iqbal Police claimed on Friday to have arrested a gang of nine dacoits allegedly involved in over a hundred robberies. The arrested suspects include four women who, according to police, would work in the targeted houses as domestic servants before the group would carry out the crime. Police claimed to have found stolen cash, gold jewellery, mobile phones, cameras and weapons in their possession.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Gulshan-e-Iqbal ASP Maroof Usman said that Rs200,000 cash, three laptops, 10 mobile phones, two cameras, gold jewellery, weapons and ammunition were seized from the arrested suspects. The ASP was flanked by Gulshan-e-Iqbal SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi.

The suspects were identified as Shehzad Ali alias Dilawar, Nabeel Ahmed, Zamir, Muhammad Abid, Javed Khan, Roshan Bibi, Gulshan Bibi, Farzana, and Farzana alias Rukhsar, and Muhammad Abid. Another five suspects, identified as Nadir, Aijaz, Shehzad alias Shada and Ali Sher, are also part of the group and are wanted by the police.

Robbers loot neighbours’ houses in Karachi

According to the ASP, the suspects confessed during the initial investigation that they would send the women to find domestic work in the targeted houses and then carry out the robbery bids with the help of information gathered by the women posing as domestic servants.

The suspects were allegedly involved in over 100 robberies during the past 15 years, said the ASP. Their chief, Farooq, was killed in a road accident three years ago, he added. Most of the robberies were carried out at the same time as the shift-change of police officials.

The areas hit by the group include Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Safoora, Malir, New Karachi and FB Area, with their last robbery bid taking place around 12 days ago in which they took away with a DSLR camera, one mobile phone and Rs25,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2019.