Brazen heist triggers protest in SITE area

Armed robbers snatch a whopping Rs10 million from cellphones trader

KARACHI:

A whopping Rs10 million has been robbed from a mobile phones trader in one of the biggest heists in the bustling Valika Chowrangi area of SITE Industrial Area.

The brazen robbery triggered chaos and outrage in the neighbourhood as a large number of people came out to stage a protest against growing robberies and muggings in the area. A police team, led by DSP Jan Khan Niazi and SHO Iftikhar Khanzada, rushed to the scene after receiving reports of the heist to pacify protesters.

According to DSP Niazi, the victim, who owns a mobile phones shop in Banaras, was intercepted by armed muggers while he was transporting Rs10 million and merchandise on his motorcycle near Attock Pump who snatched everything from him at gunpoint and fled. DSP Niazi said that they have retrieved footage from the surveillance cameras installed at the site to identify the suspects.

Violent street crimes have been rising in the area in recent weeks. Only days before the latest incident, two men were gunned down in broad daylight by motorcyclists near Fatima Masjid in Metroville Block-4. The victims, employees of a poultry farm company, were targeted for a bag containing Rs13.5 million intended for bank deposit.

Bakht Sher, another shopkeeper, shared a chilling account of his recent encounter with armed muggers. He was intercepted by armed robbers while returning home from his shop. They made off with a huge sum of money and valuables while firing shots into the air.

Friday's protest was triggered by these rising robberies and mugging in the area. The protesters torched tyres outside the SITE A police station, demanding police action against criminals. The Valika Chowrangi area, once a bustling business centre, is now gripped with fear due to rising street crimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2024.