Robbers posing as police loot house

KHANEWAL:

Armed robbers posing as police officers looted cash, gold jewellery and valuables worth millions of rupees from a house in Khanewal, while in a separate incident they snatched cattle and jewellery from a retired employee of a sensitive institution, police said on Monday.

According to details, six robbers scaled the walls of the house of local reporter Adnan Mohsin in the Pul Bagar area on Sunday night.

Knocking at the door, they claimed to be police officials and alleged they had information about narcotics inside the house. When the family refused to open the door, the suspects forcibly broke it and entered the house.

The robbers held Adnan Mohsin and his wife at gunpoint, locked family members in a room and looted Rs350,000 in cash, gold jewellery worth Rs3 million, a laptop and three expensive mobile phones.

The victims said three of the suspects were armed with Kalashnikovs while the remaining carried pistols.

The assailants reportedly arrived and fled on foot, spending nearly one and a half hours inside the house.

On receiving information, police from Sarai Sidhu police station and DSP Kabirwala Circle Chaudhry Munawar Gujjar reached the spot and inspected the crime scene.

In another incident, three armed robbers struck in the jurisdiction of Kacha Khuh police station in Chak 19-West.

The suspects allegedly took retired employee Ramadan hostage at gunpoint under the pretext of checking his cattle. They tied him up, untied three valuable cows and snatched gold earrings from female family members.

As the robbers attempted to flee, the victim's wife raised an alarm, prompting residents to resort to aerial firing and surround the area.

The suspects abandoned the cattle in nearby fields and escaped while firing shots.

Police said investigations were under way and efforts were being made to trace and arrest the culprits involved in both incidents.