Dozens held on charges of looting relief goods

Police say people scaled up wall of factory and stole 100 ration bags

RAJANPUR:

Rajanpur police have arrested 60 accused on the charges of looting ration and other relief items meant to be distributed among the flood-hit people.

The DPO of Rajanpur, Ahmed Mohyuddin, said that a crackdown was launched on the orders of the RPO of DG Khan, Muhammad Saleem, to arrest 60 accused of looting and fourteen cases were registered against them, three in PS city Rajanpur, two each in PS Sadar and PS Fazalpur, one each in PS Kot Mithan and PS Hajipur, and three in PS Rojhan Mazari.

Over two dozen motorcycles were also taken in custody and raids were being conducted to arrest the rest of the accused, the DPO said.

The Commissioner of DG Khan, Liaquat Ali Chattha, took serious notice of the complaints and sought the help of police in ensuring that the relief goods reach the deserving people.

The DPO said that the elements involved in looting relief goods meant for the people traumatized by floods was an unforgivable sin and promised there would be no leniency for such offenders.

He said that such elements had also become a source of anxiety for the philanthropists and NGOs working in the flood-affected areas to provide the much needed comfort to the flood-affected people.

Bashir Lashari, a representative from a welfare trust, said that a number of people scaled up the wall of a factory near Rajanpur city and looted 100 ration bags.

However, he said they had already completed distribution of 500 ration bags among the deserving people before the incident took place. He said that he had called the police for help, but they sent only two constables who could not control the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2022.