Two ‘White Car Gang’ members killed

KARACHI:

Two members of the notorious "White Car Gang" were killed in a dramatic firefight with police, while their two accomplices managed to escape amid a hail of bullets on Friday.

The dead members of the White Corolla Gang of robbers were identified as 43-year-old Muhammad Shahid Ansari, also known as Burger, and 43-year-old Shahid Qureshi, alias Kala. Both had a criminal history marked by over 50 robberies and various other crimes.

According SSP East Irfan Bahadur, police were tipped off about the presence of White Corolla Gang members in the remits of Jamshed Quarter police station, on the prowl for potential targets.

A police party was immediately sent to the area to arrest the notorious robbers. Police set up a roadblock to check suspicious vehicles in the hunt for the suspects near Hussaini Imambargah in Teen Hatti. They signaled a white-coloured Corolla to stop but the occupants instead opened fire on them and tried to escape, according to SSP Bahadur.

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A pursuit ensued, resulting in an exchange of gunfire that claimed the lives of two robbers, while the remaining two managed to escape the scene in the vehicle. The bodies were shifted to the Civil Hospital by Chippa ambulances for legal procedures. Muhammad Shahid Ansari, alias Burger, hailed from Korangi, while Shahid Qureshi was a resident of New Shah Shams Colony, Multan.

The notorious gang, referred to as the "White Corolla Gang", has been linked to more than 50 robberies besides various crimes.

Records revealed that Shahid alias Burger had a criminal history involving more than 26 robberies and other offenses, while Shahid, alias Kala, was implicated in more than 10 similar incidents. Earlier, Imran, an associate of the accused, was arrested during a robbery in Al Falah police station limits, and another accomplice was taken into custody in an injured condition from Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

Police recovered two TT pistols, mobile phones, and cash from the dead robbers.