Pakistan

Cash van driver decamps with Rs63.5m in Karachi

Authorities believe Rai Zohaib Hussain may have fled to Punjab with an accomplice and stolen money

Our Correpondent September 20, 2023

A man counts Pakistani Rupee (PKR) notes. PHOTO: REUTERS

A driver employed by a private security firm has gone on the run with a staggering sum of Rs63.5 million after absconding with the company's cash van in Karachi’s Korangi Industrial Area (KIA). The van was later discovered abandoned in Awami Colony, prompting the immediate registration of a police case.

According to KIA police, the security firm had recently rehired the driver, identified as Rai Zohaib Hussain, who seized the opportunity to make off with the substantial sum intended for delivery to various bank branches.

The crew chief of the cash van, Musa Khan, filed a case, and a comprehensive investigation was launched into the incident. One of the security guards, Saquib Ali, was detained for questioning; however, no significant breakthrough has been achieved thus far.

Authorities believe the driver, originally from Vehari district of Punjab, may have fled to Punjab with an accomplice and the stolen money. The investigation is actively employing technical means to locate Hussain.

The incident unfolded when a crew from the bulletproof cash van, led by Musa Khan and accompanied by two security guards and the driver, arrived at Korangi Industrial Area Sector 16 to collect cash from a local bank branch.

While the crew was inside the bank, Hussain reportedly asked the lone security guard in the van, Saquib, to leave his weapon in the vehicle and fetch him a bottle of water.

Musa Khan informed the police that upon his return, he found Saquib Ali in a bewildered state, with both the weapon and the van missing. Saquib explained how Hussain had deceived him and made off with the cash-laden van.

Remarkably, the security company reported the incident three hours after its occurrence, at 7pm, despite the incident taking place at 4:10pm. The ongoing investigation is exploring multiple angles in the hopes of apprehending the fugitive driver in the near future.