Dhoni fan by day, 'Spiderman' robber by night

Peshawar police recover Rs9.3m in stolen cash, arrest key suspect in shop burglary case

LAHORE:

By day, he was known among his friends as a fan of Indian cricket star MS Dhoni. By night, police say, his unusually slender frame turned him into a "Spiderman" - slipping through narrow exhaust ducts to break into shops and walk away with millions.

The unlikely combination helped a suspected burglary gang evade detection, according to Peshawar police, who claim to have busted the group and recovered Rs9.3 million in stolen cash from one of its alleged members.

The police say the gang's alleged "Spiderman", identified as Zahid, would exploit his slim physique to enter shops through exhaust openings while his accomplices waited outside. He and his mother have allegedly fled to Afghanistan following the robberies.

Police arrested another suspect, identified as Usman, and recovered Rs9.3 million from his possession, according to SP City Shahid Adnan.

The gang allegedly targeted three shops near Lady Griffith Girls School within the jurisdiction of Shah Qabool police station on September 3. Police said more than Rs100 million worth of cash and goods was stolen from the premises, including a solar panel shop and two other large stores.

SP City Shahid Adnan, accompanied by DSP Shaheen Shah and SHO Shah Qabool Shah Khalid Khan, disclosed the details at a press conference on Monday.

He said Peshawar CCPO Dr Mian Saeed Ahmed had taken serious notice of the incident and ordered special teams to trace the suspects. The teams comprised City Circle DSP Shehenshah Khan, SHO Shah Qabool Shah Khalid and investigating officer Aizaz Alam Khan.

Investigators used CCTV footage as well as modern scientific and technical methods to identify the suspects, the SP said.

During the investigation, police traced the gang and arrested Usman, son of Ghulam Hussain, a resident of Bhana Mari Timer Garhi and currently residing in Rehman Court, Qamar Din Ghari. Rs9.3 million in allegedly stolen cash was recovered from his possession.

According to police, interrogation also revealed the alleged involvement of Zahid, who was nicknamed "Spider-Man" by his accomplices because of his ability to squeeze through narrow openings.

Police said Zahid was also an admirer of former India captain MS Dhoni and was therefore known among his associates as "Dhoni".

Investigators said Zahid allegedly entered commercial premises through exhaust ducts, enabling the gang to carry out burglaries without using conventional entry points.

Police further claimed that some relatives of the suspects and a woman were also involved in the gang's activities. The woman was allegedly taken along during an operation so that, if the group was stopped by police, her presence could help create an alternative explanation for their movement.

Police said Zahid and his mother had escaped to Afghanistan and efforts were under way to arrest them.

Further interrogation of the arrested suspect is continuing, with police expecting more information about the gang's other alleged robberies, accomplices and the remaining stolen money.