Muggers snatch mobile phones worth Rs6m

The robbery took place on a bridge near the Water Pump Chowrangi area, Samanabad police station.

KARACHI:

A businessman from Rahim Yar Khan district of Punjab was robbed of mobile phones and cash worth over Rs6 million by motorcycle-riding muggers near the Water Pump Chowrangi on Sunday.

The incident occurred while the businessman, identified as Muzamil, along with his business partner, Arsalan Ishaq, was on his way to Sohrab Goth bus terminal after purchasing mobile phones from the Star City Mobile Market in Saddar.

The robbery took place on a bridge near the Water Pump Chowrangi area, falling under the remits of Samanabad police station.

According to Muzamil, four armed men on two motorcycles intercepted their rickshaw, held them at gunpoint, and snatched a bag containing 36 high-value iPhones and cash. Interestingly, the muggers didn't ask for the personal mobile phones of the pair.

They called the police helpline 15 thrice, but police arrived at the scene after three hours.

The police initially claimed the area where the incident took place was not within their jurisdiction. It was only after several follow-ups that a team from the Samanabad police station responded, asking the victims to visit the station to formally lodge an FIR.

Police asked for the EMI numbers of the stolen mobile phones, which the victims did not have at the time. Muzamil assured the police he would obtain the numbers from the vendors and provide them to expedite the registration of FIR.

Meanwhile, Minhaj Gulfan, president of the Mobile Dealers Association, expressed concern over the rising incidents of street crime and urged higher authorities to take action to arrest the muggers and recover the stolen phones.