Stealing pricey wires: Inquisitive citizen helps bust gang of robbers

Passerby spotted mysterious activity, engaged criminals till cops showed up.

ISLAMABAD: A citizen of the capital appeared to be more efficient than the police after he delayed a gang attempting to steal telephone wiring worth millions until a police patrol arrived to intervene.

The gang was busted by Ramna police after Malik Shakeel, a G-10/3 resident, intercepted them while they were busy loading Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) wires in their truck at Ibn-e-Sina Road on Monday night, said Muhammad Saleem, investigation officer of the case.

The police registered an FIR on Shakeel’s complaint.

Shakeel told The Express Tribune that around midnight, he was going to F-10 Markaz with two friends when he saw ten people ten people loading the wires.

On questioning, they introduced themselves as army officers, he added.

However, when the complainant was not convinced, they claimed they were instructed by their contractor to load the wires.

Shakeel engaged them till the arrival of a police patrol which arrested seven out of the gang of ten, said the Saleem.

The police said Muhammad Ishaq, the mastermind, managed to escape as he had his own car. Ishaq is a former PTCL employee and his gang has been involved in this business for long, the police claimed further. “They rented the truck (TY-6215) from Rawalpindi and were loading equipment worth Rs10 million. However, Shakeel successfully intercepted them,” said the officer.

Hand in hand

Ramna SHO Rukshar Medhi appreciated the ‘citizen’s bravery’ and admitted his officers should have done what the complainant did.  “I believe still there is civic sense among citizens and Shakeel played a key role in their arrest,” he added.

The officer said usually people were reluctant to make complaints but Shakeel’s actions will hopefully encourage others. “We will be able to arrest the mastermind after interrogating the arrested men,” he explained.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2015.