Hostage drama ends in shootout

An intense confrontation occurred between the police and armed robbers in the early hours of Wednesday in Korangi. The robbers had taken a man and a woman hostage during a bold heist at a private medical lab in Korangi No5. As the situation unfolded, both robbers were killed, and a police officer and a bystander sustained minor injuries.

According to reports, two suspects on a motorcycle stormed the private lab, holding the staff captive, and snatched a bag full of cash before attempting to escape. An alert citizen promptly informed the police, who responded quickly to the scene, led by SHO Jamal Leghari from Awami Colony Police Station, around 10 am on Wednesday.

The police tried to apprehend the robbers, but they used the man and woman as human shields, threatening to harm the hostages if fired upon. Negotiation tactics were employed to persuade the culprits to release the hostages unharmed.

During the tense standoff, a crowd gathered outside the lab, leading the police to clear the area for safety reasons. Despite the attempts to resolve the situation peacefully, the robbers opened fire, injuring a 45-year-old police officer, Muhammad Bakhsh, and an innocent passerby.

In response to the aggression, the police fired back, resulting in the death of both criminals due to gunshot wounds. The authorities recovered a 9mm pistol, the stolen cash amounting to approximately Rs145,000, and a 125cc motorcycle believed to have been stolen from the Airport area.

The crime scene was thoroughly investigated, with authorities collecting 36 shell casings from various small and large weapons.

Additionally, over a dozen citizens positively identified the deceased suspects as notorious robbers, connecting them to a previous robbery of Rs500000 from a shop in Landhi on Tuesday. The deceased culprits have been identified as Shah Alam and Abdullah, with a history of criminal activities.

Cases have been filed against the deceased accused in Korangi, Quaidabad, and Awami Colony.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2023.