‘Don of Sialkot’ arrested after six years at large

Yasir Cheema was wanted in over 200 crimes, had been in Dubai.

SIALKOT: Sialkot police arrested a proclaimed offender wanted in over 200 cases in a raid on Sunday, District Police Office (DPO) Syed Ali Mohsin told a press conference at his office.

He said Yasir Cheema alias Yasira, a resident of Daska, carried Rs1 million head money and went by titles like “the don of Sialkot” and “SHO of Punjab”.

Cheema was arrested in a raid following a tip off early Sunday morning, the DPO said.

Cheema was headed towards a trader’s home receive a ‘protection’ payment when the police team intercepted him.

The DPO said the man was wanted in over 200 cases of murder, extortion and kidnapping for ransom.

Cheema, present at the press conference, told the media that he had lived near a coal mine in Chakwal for over a year.

Earlier, he said, he had fled to Dubai.

Cheema said he had travelled to Dubai using false papers.

“I used a forged identity card and passport issued in another name to flee to Dubai,” he said. He said his application forms were attested by a former union council nazim.

Cheema said he had continued operating his extortion network in Sialkot and its surroundings from Dubai. The network included a firing squad which, he said, was terrorised traders and other affluent people who were reluctant to pay up by firing at their homes and cars.

Daska City police have registered a case against Cheema under Sections 324, 353 and 13/20/65 of the Pakistan Penal Code for putting up resistance during Sunday’s raid.

A large number of lawyers including Sialkot District Bar Association (DBA) president Advocate Shahid Mir, traders and journalists were present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2012.