Last year was not any different from preceding years in terms of street crime in the commercial hub of Pakistan. But the last month of 2023 was in particular challenging as muggers struck at will, revealing the vulnerability of citizens to street criminals. Alarmingly, 52 lives were lost in violent robberies and other violence during the same period.
Data compiled by the Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) showed a huge increase in street crimes as 206 vehicles, 4,777 motorcycles, and 2,095 mobile phones, were stolen and snatched within a month. These concerning figures excluded cases of murder, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion.
Read Soaring crimes plague capital
As per the CPLC data, citizens lost 206 vehicles: 26 snatched and 180 stolen. The theft of motorcycles, which is the most popular mode of commute for the middle-class, also saw an alarming surge. Over the course of the 31 days of December, a total of 4,777 two-wheelers were jacked: 729 snatched and 4,048 thieved.
Similarly, the CPLC figures show that 2,095 mobile phones were snatched by street criminals during the month of December. The data also reports 11 cases of extortion and three of kidnapping for ransom during the same period.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2024.
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