Three suspects killed, nine others nabbed separately

A suspect was killed in Kharadar while two others escaped during encounter.

KARACHI: Three suspects were killed in separate encounters with the law enforcement agencies, while nine others were apprehended from different parts of the city on Monday.

In the latest encounter, a suspect was killed while two others escaped during an alleged encounter with the police in Kharadar. Police officials said that the accused were intercepted during routine checking, when they opened fire at the police while trying to escape. The police fired in retaliation and killed one of the suspects. The two others managed to flee.



Police officials claimed to have recovered weapons from the possession of the deceased, whose medico-legal formalities were completed at Civil Hospital, Karachi, and the body was then shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth for identification. He was later identified as Waqas alias Vicky. According to the police, Waqas was associated with the Sheraz Comrade group of the Lyari gangsters. He was on the wanted list of the police in over 40 cases including those of murders, attempt to murders, kidnapping, extortion and police encounters.

Similarly, two suspects were killed in an encounter with the police in the Ittehad Town area of Baldia Town late on Sunday night. Police officials said that the suspects belonged to the Swati group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

SSP Irfan Baloch said that the militants killed in the encounter were involved in a number of attacks and killings of police personnel, particularly in Baldia Town and its surrounding areas. They were also involved in extortion activities. One of them was later identified as Shahzad Swati. The bodies were shifted to Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities were completed at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Arrests

Meanwhile, five suspects were taken into custody during a joint operation conducted by the police and Rangers on Tariq Road early Monday morning. The police and Rangers did not disclose the identities of the suspects detained during the operation, adding that they had been shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation. Sources in the police revealed that weapons had also been recovered from their possession.

Separately, a suspect wanted by the police in various cases of crime was arrested along with two of his accomplices during a raid in Sachal area. DSP Qamar Ahmed said that the gang leader, Bhakkar Chandio, was arrested with his companions, Talib and Zubair. He added that Chandio was on the wanted list of the police in various cases of crime including extortion and street misdemeanours. Weapons were recovered from their possession, while further investigations are well underway, he said.

Likewise, Jamshed Quarters police arrested an alleged extortionist, identified as Bilal Hussain. According to the police, the arrested suspect was involved in various cases of extortion. The police were trying to arrest other members of his group.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2014.