Robbers hit bonanza

In a city increasingly under siege by armed criminals, not even police officers and government officials are safe anymore. In one of the most high-profile incidents in recent months, five armed robbers broke into a house in DHA Phase V, holding the family hostage and escaping with over Rs 200 million worth of foreign currency, jewellery, cash, and other valuables.

The targeted residence belongs to Sindh Police officer SSP Tauheed ur Rehman Memon and Sindh government spokesperson Syeda Aqraba. The robbers looted $90,000 (approx Rs nine million), Rs one million in cash, Rs 110 million worth of gold jewellery, and a mobile phone before vanishing into the night. The armed intruders entered the house in Khayaban-e-Mujahid, around 4:45am on Saturday. They first overpowered the armed guard stationed at the gate, Faisal Altaf, and forced him inside the house at gunpoint. Once inside, they held all family members hostage and began ransacking the house with chilling ease.

The robbers spent around 30 minutes inside before fleeing after warning the residents not to follow or alert anyone. "They said if we came after them, they would shoot us," the guard told police later.

Faisal Altaf, who filed the complaint at Darakhshan Police Station, said he had fallen asleep during the night shift with his government-issued rifle hidden under a pillow. He was woken by three armed men and taken inside, where he found his employer's family already held hostage. According to the FIR, three of the robbers searched the house while two stood guard over the family. The robbers left calmly after completing the loot, locking the doors behind them.

After confirming the missing items with SSP Tauheed, the FIR was filed. The police handed over the case to the investigation unit, which is now looking into the incident.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has taken serious notice of the robbery and demanded an initial report from the SSP South. He directed police to review and share details of the current security plan for District South and ensure robust intelligence efforts to trace and arrest the culprits swiftly.

Minister Lanjar also instructed investigators to obtain and examine CCTV footage from the surrounding area and keep him updated on the investigation's progress.