Security operations: 60 suspects held as law enforcers search ‘Red Zone’

Police, Rangers and the Special Protection Group help out.

KARACHI: Over 60 suspects were rounded up in raids across the city on Sunday as police, commandos of the elite force - Special Protection Group, and Sindh Rangers swept the city in search of target killers and miscreants.

They searched Sultanabad’s Hijrat Colony, Hussain Hazara Goth in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Mehran Town in the Korangi Industrial Area.

Law enforcement officials told The Express Tribune that they were acting on intelligence reports and suspicions of possible terrorist activities, particularly in the South zone also known as the ‘Red zone’ for its sensitive installations such as Chief Minister House and Governor House among others. They said that they had seized weapons and arrested political workers, target killers and extortionists all of whom were being questioned at an undisclosed location. Some of them have been released after interrogation and while the exact number has not been released, 60 of them are believed to still be in custody.

In the first of the operations, police and commandos swarmed Hijrat Colony at 4:30 am, blocked entry and exit points and spent two hours searching each house. Policewomen also participated and about 40 people were taken into custody. Two political offices and guest houses were also searched.

At the same time, another operation was under way at Hussain Hazara Goth. Law enforcers came away from this part of Gulshan-e-Iqbal with about a dozen suspects and their weapons.

Later, in the morning, Rangers launched a targeted operation in Mehran Town and its adjoining areas in the Korangi Industrial Area after they received a tip-off about the presence of suspected extortion, drug and land mafia members. About a dozen suspects were taken into custody during the operation conducted with the help of the Rangers’ Anti-Terrorism Squad. The Rangers spokesman said that the targeted operation was only conducted in Mehran Town while they raided several parts of the city including Lasbella, KBR Society, North Nazimabad, Qasba Colony, Old Golimar and Ayesha Apartment in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He said that at least 27 suspects were detained and 24 weapons of different calibre were seized. A few of them were released after being questioned.

Another 10 suspects were taken into custody during a door-to-door search in Block 13-D of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal late on Sunday evening. SP Waqar Mallan said that the operation was part of the ongoing operations. He was hesitant to release an exact number of suspects as they are still questioning the detainees.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2011.