Security agencies arrest eight for convoy attacks

Late night raid conducted on the outskirts of Isl on information provided by already arrested suspects.

ISLAMABAD: Security agencies and police have arrested eight people suspected of storing Nato supplies and recovered a huge quantity of supplies from their possession. The supplies were being dumped at two separate places in Dhok Paracha near Tarnol area.

The late night raid was conducted by security agencies on the outskirts of the Federal Capital on the information provided by the already arrested suspects. The Nato supplies recovered included two vehicles, helicopter wings, rotors, floppy discs, plastic bags, steel pipes, wireless sets and speakers. The officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the police accompanied the raiding team of security agencies. Police said more arrests were expected as the information was coming from the arrested suspects during interrogation.

Earlier in June this year, a convoy of trucks and trawlers carrying Nato supplies was attacked at the same place, Dhok Paracha near Tarnol.

However, sources in the CID told The Express Tribune that the arrested suspects had no link to the June attack and the supplies were not stolen from the vehicle which had come under attack.

“They were professionals and trained criminals. They used to participate in attacks on Nato trucks, mostly happening in the tribal areas and the areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) conducted by certain terrorist groups,” said a police official.

“Subsequently, they used to steal supplies they could and dump them at the godown in Dhok Paracha,” he added.

The suspects had initially been shifted to an unknown place for further investigations. The Superintendent of Police SP (Saddar) Capt (retd) Liaqat Ali said the suspects were in the custody of the police and cases had been registered against them. However, the Tarnol area police denied any case being registered in the police station against the accused. The duty officer who accompanied the raiding team said the cases would be registered in the Tarnol police station on Saturday night.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2010.