On the wrong side of law: Five cops arrested for looting citizens

Accused personnel were deployed at Hassan Square police headquarters and there were several complaints against them

KARACHI:

Karachi police claim to have arrested 15 suspects, including five police personnel, in separate raids from different parts of the city on Thursday.

Five police personnel of the Muhafiz Force were arrested when they were looting a citizen in SITE area. The arrests were made by SITE B Section police station. Though the names of the accused personnel were not disclosed, officials said they included one head constable and four constables.



SHO Maqbool Ahmed said that the accused were deployed at the Hassan Square police headquarters but he had received several complaints about their activities that involved looting the people in a police mobile van.

The SHO added that the accused were caught red-handed when they were trying to flee after looting Rs30,000 from a citizen in SITE, on Wednesday night. An FIR No. 289/14 has been registered while the accused were later handed over to the Anti-Corruption police for further investigation.

Narcotics seized

Separately, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) claim to have seized 30 kilogrammes of heroin during a raid on Super Highway. The ANF spokesperson said that the narcotics were being smuggled on a Hino truck, adding that drugs were hidden in soap bars and were destined to go abroad. One accused was also apprehended during the raid. The spokesperson claimed that the seized heroin is worth millions of rupees in the international market.

Suspects arrested

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of police claim to have arrested a suspect, identified as Arif alias Iffo, son of Ashfaq Ahmed, during a raid in Nazimabad. SIU chief SP Farooq Awan said that the accused had confessed to have been involved in two bank robberies - Microfinance Bank in Nazimabad and Soneri Bank in Liaquatabad, adding that the police was also making efforts to arrest his accomplices.

In Defence Housing Authority, two alleged robbers were arrested in an injured condition after an exchange of fire with the police at Do Darya, within the limits of Darakshan police station. They were identified as Daud, 35, and Qadeer, 30. Police officials said that the accused were involved in various cases of street crimes.

Three more suspects, identified as Ghulam Nabi, Mujahid Ahmed and Naseerullah, were arrested during snap checking in Ferozabad. Police officials claimed the suspects were involved in various cases of street crimes, adding that weapons were seized from their possession.

In another encounter, two suspects, identified as Abid Qayyum and Shah Azam, were arrested after an exchange of fire with the Pirabad police.

Meanwhile, Surjani police claim to have arrested a suspected member of interprovincial group of vehicles lifters during a targeted raid in Sector 4-D, Surjani Town. Police officials said that the accused, Mushtaq, was involved in various cases of snatching and stealing vehicles from the city. The group then smuggled the vehicles to other parts of the country, adding that eleven motorcycles and three cars were also seized from his possession.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2014.