Bounties set on 40 katcha bandits

Punjab Home Dept offers Rs5m and Rs2.5m as head money

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LAHORE:

The Punjab government has announced bounties on 40 'notorious dacoits' of the riverine katcha area, releasing their names and photographs.

The announcement was made by the Punjab Home Department as part of efforts to eliminate organised crime in the region of the province.

According to a notification, the government has placed bounties of Rs5 million and Rs2.5 million on the heads of the wanted men in view of their criminal record.

Of the most wanted criminals, including Habib alias Habibi, Qurban, Farhat and Isa, 20 carry a bounty of Rs5 million each. The remaining 20, including Yaqub, Shahnawaz and Abdul Sattar, have Rs2.5 million bounties each.

The announcement follows an earlier move to offer Rs10 million in reward for information about 20 high-profile dacoits.

The home department also shared a WhatsApp number, 0333-4002653, for the public to confidentially report information about the criminals.

The katcha region located along the riverine belt of South Punjab has long been a hotbed of criminal activity, with dense forests providing natural hideouts for gangs involved in kidnappings, robberies and terrorism.

Despite multiple costly operations since the 1990s, the criminals have managed to evade law enforcement by exploiting the terrain.

A major recent escalation in the conflict occurred in August last year, when a rocket attack on a police van in Rahim Yar Khan claimed the lives of 12 policemen.

The government had responded by raising the bounty on the heads of over a dozens of bandits of te region, replacing the district's police command and launching an extensive operation involving joint efforts by the Punjab and Sindh police.

Shahid Lund was also named in the list issued by Punjab Home Department.

A video had gone viral on social media in which, Shahid Lund, one of the men named in the list issued by the home department, questioned an official on the helpline about the inclusion of his name.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar stated later that Shahid Lund, a notorious ringleader with a Rs10 million bounty, had been killed in a joint operation in November.

He said the Punjab Police, in collaboration with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), had adopted advanced technology and strategies to counter the gangs.

Infamous for his violent crimes and social media presence as a TikToker and YouTuber, Shahid Lund was wanted in at least 28 cases, including murder of police personnel and acts of terrorism. His death was declared a major success by the police. However, some locals had claimed that he had been murdered by a close relative after a gathering to resolve a family feud.

Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal reiterated the government's resolve to restore law and order in the region. "The sacrifices of our officers will not go in vain. Our efforts will continue until this menace is eradicated," he asserted.

The government is also mobilising public support, urging citizens to report information about the criminals while assuring the informants of confidentiality.

The Punjab government has allocated additional resources, including fresh contingents of CTD personnel, and plans to deploy state-of-the-art technology to bolster its efforts. Officials emphasise that the ultimate goal is not only to apprehend the criminals but also to dismantle the networks supporting them.

They said the bounties were part of a strategy to incentivise cooperation from the public and expedite the security operations.