'Rs4m heist' turns out to be 'staged drama'

KARACHI:

What initially appeared to be yet another daring robbery at a jewellery shop in the Preedy police remits turned out to be a carefully crafted lie, as police investigations exposed the incident as a fake, staged by the shop owner to buy time for repayment of a loan.

According to police, the owner, identified as Mehroze Ali, initially claimed that an armed suspect entered his shop while his accomplice waited outside on a motorcycle. He alleged that the suspects looted gold jewellery worth Rs4 million before fleeing the scene.

DSP Preedy Liaquat Hayat said that since no CCTV cameras were installed inside the shop, police collected footage from surrounding areas and called in the Crime Scene Unit to assist with the investigation.

However, the absence of physical evidence at the crime scene and contradictions in the shop owner's statements raised suspicions. During further questioning, the owner confessed to fabricating the robbery incident.