Defence Police arrest five robbers, recover millions

Robbers had robbed Rs20m from a citizen at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s parking on September 19

KARACHI: Defence Police claimed to have arrested three members of a six-member gang on Monday, who allegedly looted Rs20 million from a citizen, and seized 3 pistols, motorcycle and Rs3 million from their possession. South DIG Sharjeel Kharal, while addressing a press conference at his office, along with SSP Sheeraz Nazir, Investigation SP Ejaz Ahmed and Clifton SP Suhai Aziz informed the media that they had arrested three members of the gang allegedly involved in bank robberies and street crimes. The arrested suspects were identified as Ali Shan, Farhan Khan and Khalid Mehmood. “The robbers had looted Rs20 million from a citizen, named Kamran, at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s parking on September 19,” said the South DIG. “Kamran had withdrawn the money from a private bank at II Chundrigar Road and had gone to JPMC where the robbers looted him before fleeing.” According to DIG Kharal, an accomplice of the arrested suspects was already present in the bank when the citizen withdrew the

amount and when he left the bank with another man accompanying him, the accomplice informed his gang members outside the bank to pursue the two. A case of the robbery incident was registered at Saddar Police Station following which the investigation had started. “During the interrogation, the suspects revealed that they had received Rs3.3 million each from the robbery,” DIG Kharal added.

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The suspects are said to be involved in 17 incidents of robberies and street crimes. The investigation also revealed that the suspects have prior criminal records and have also been arrested earlier by various police stations of Karachi. DIG South added that police are raiding multiple locations in search of other members of the gang and for recovery of the money. Addressing the press conference, SSP Nazir said that the Defence

Police have also arrested two suspects of a different four-member robbery gang, involved in street crime. The suspects had allegedly snatched 45 expensive mobile phones and Rs100,000 from a mobile phone dealer, Waqas, on November 14 in the jurisdiction of Aziz Bhatti Police Station. Police claimed to have recovered 25 mobile phones from the two arrested suspects, Shahid and Wasi. According to police, other snatched mobile phones are in the possession of the other two alleged members of the gang. Police are carrying out raids to arrest them. Police further claimed that the arrested suspects have been involved in street crimes in all parts of the city since 2003. “The suspects used to pursue their targets from the mobile market and robbed them at a suitable place,” said the SSP. “The suspects have also been earlier arrested and sent to jail.” During the investigation, the suspects confessed that in 2018 they had deprived a cigarette dealer of Rs2.8 million in Bilal Colony and killed a security guard Mohammad Iqbal and injured another security guard Mohammed Nadeem upon resistance. The arrested suspect, Shahid, had fled to South Africa after the incident and then moved to Rawalpindi and returned to Karachi to reunite with his companions following which he carried out other crimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2019.