Armed snatchers in the city's upscale localities have adopted a novel technique to conceal weapons by hiding pistols in leather slits strapped below their knees, enabling them to evade police checks with alarming ease.
The tactic, reportedly inspired by online content and aided by AI-based tips on avoiding detection, has surfaced in areas including Hayatabad, Dalazak Road and Ring Road.
Members of Ababeel Force were unable to detect firearms during routine frisking, despite weapons being worn directly on the body.
According to police sources and young suspects' own confessions on social media chat groups, the new gangs often target cafes, tea points and juice bars in affluent zones.
They scout potential victims, usually youth with high-end smartphones, before executing the heist via motorcycles.
Instead of strapping pistols to their waists or backs, the offenders tuck compact firearms inside narrow leather pouches worn close to the ankle, slipping past conventional pat-downs.
A senior officer with over a decade of experience in K-P's counter-terrorism and investigations told The Express Tribune that technological evolution, including AI, has drastically altered how crimes are committed.
"Drug smuggling based on live location sharing is already a challenge. Now, AI-driven street crimes are surfacing where even non-organised youth gangs are imitating techniques used by terrorist outfits," he said.
Another officer disclosed that not only petty criminals but terrorists too have adapted. "In Chamkani, the suicide bomber wore a half-jacket, not the typical full-body explosive vest, a change that helped him deceive surveillance. This shift in patterns highlights the urgency to modernise police procedures."
He said that current methods of body searches and checkpoints were outdated in light of evolving criminal innovation. "Modern policing has to catch up fast."
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