Dozens of suspects of banned outfits arrested across Punjab

CTD spokesperson claims to have foiled terror plot

LAHORE:

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab has foiled a major terror plot through the arrests of 33 suspects linked to banned outfits during operations conducted in different areas of the province.

According to a spokesman, CTD Punjab carried out 475 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in different districts of the province to prevent incidents of terrorism during which 475 persons were interrogated and 33 suspects possessing weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials arrested.

He said the arrested suspects belonged to banned organizations, including the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, 133 Brigade, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan and Al-Qaeda.

They had been arrested during IBOs conducted in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Nankana Sahib, Lahore, Khushab, Jhang, Attock, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Bahawalnagar, Rawalpindi, Bhakkar, Hafizabad, Narowal, Attock, Sahiwal and Rahim Yar Khan, said the CTD Punjab spokesperson.

During the operations, 4,895 grams of explosives, 2 hand grenades, 2 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 26 detonators, 73 feet of safety fuse wire, 4 pistols, 19 bullets, 17 pamphlets of banned organizations, 7 magazines, 15 boxes, 121 pamphlets, 156 stickers, 4 receipt books, 2 mobile phones and Rs99,660 in cash had been recovered from the suspects, he said.

The spokesman pointed out that the arrested suspects had planned to carry out subversive activities across the province. Police have registered 32 cases and shifted them to an unknown location.

The CTD spokesman said as many as 3,674 combing operations had also been conducted during the week with the help of local police and security agencies during which 186,331 persons had been checked, 1,431 suspects arrested, 778 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered and 361 recoveries made.

The Counter Terrorism Department Punjab was diligently pursuing its goal of a safe Punjab and no stone would be left unturned in its efforts to put terrorists and anti-state elements behind bars, he maintained.