LAHORE:Punjab police intensified its province-wide operations against organised criminal gangs ahead of Eidul Azha to ensure public safety and maintain law and order.
As part of these efforts, 18 members of seven active gangs were apprehended within the past 24 hours. According to the Punjab police spokesperson, the arrested suspects were found in possession of a substantial cache of illegal items. The recoveries include 80 firearms, comprising Kalashnikovs, pistols, rifles, revolvers, and shotguns, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
In addition, police recovered 35 motorcycles, 20 mobile phones, 14 stolen livestock animals, four tolas of gold, and over Rs2 million in cash. Providing a broader overview of the year’s progress, the spokesperson noted that during the first five months of 2025, a total of 6,167 criminals associated with 2,522 gangs were arrested. Seized from these individuals were 837 Kalashnikovs, 17,287 pistols, 1,530 rifles, 1,632 shotguns, 251 revolvers, and more than 146,000 bullets. Other recoveries during this period include 7,495 motorcycles, 488 vehicles, 3,315 mobile phones, 560 tolas of gold, 1,581 livestock animals, and cash totaling over Rs2 billion. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Dr
Usman Anwar has instructed all regional and district officers to sustain momentum in the ongoing crackdown and take all necessary measures to eliminate criminal elements, ensuring peace and security during the Eid holidays.