The Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC) on Saturday arrested three suspects allegedly involved in various cases of motorcycle theft in parts of Karachi.
According to a spokesperson for the AVLC, the suspects were arrested during a series of raids in the Bin Qasim, Malir and Gulshan-e-Iqbal areas. Officials of the cell also claimed to have recovered three snatched and stolen motorcycles from the suspects’ possession.
The suspects arrested were habitual motorcycle snatchers and lifters who used to sell the stolen motorcycles in Balochistan and to scrap dealers, the spokesperson said, adding that they were all arrested for the first time and hence had no earlier criminal record.
The suspects were identified as Aslam Mugheri, son of Murad Mugheri, Azeem, son of Zawar, and Luqman Shah, son of Ali Yar Shah. The spokesperson said they were wanted by the Shah Latif and Gulistan-e-Jauhar police stations in whose limits they had snatched or stolen three motorcycles.
Efforts for further arrests are under way, the spokesperson said.
Separately, the AVLC Jamshed Town arrested a gang of five habitual motorcycle lifters and recovered two stolen motorcycles and one pistol from their possession. According to the spokesperson, the suspects were heroin addicts who sold stolen motorcycles in Balochistan in exchange for narcotics. The arrested suspects included Nadeem, son of Dur Muhammad, Zahoor, son of Abdul Aziz, Aslam, son of Shaban, Ali Gabol, son of Ismail, and Hameed Makranil, son of Abdul Sattar.
The AVLC has arrested many suspected motorcycle lifters in the recent days. On Thursday, the cell claimed to have busted a gang of motorcycle lifters during a raid in the Baldia Town locality.
The AVLC Baldia arrested a gang of four habitual motorcycle lifters and recovered two stolen motorcycles from their possession. The spokesperson said the arrested suspects were members of the notorious Khokar Group of motorcycle lifters and were especially active in Baldia Town.
The suspects used to steal motorcycles at the time of Iftar, the spokesperson said, adding that that they could be seen stealing motorcycles in CCTV footage obtained by AVLC officials.
The spokesperson said the AVLC nabbed the gang when the suspects were trying to steal a motorcycle shortly before Iftar. The gang allegedly sold stolen motorcycles in Khuzdar, Balochistan and while transporting the motorcycles to Balochistan, they would take children on them to avoid suspicion.
The suspects, who were related to each other, were identified as Danish, son of Iqbal, Usman, son of Aslam, Shahzaib, son of Abdul Jabbar, and Ali Nawaz, son of Barat Khan. They were allegedly involved in stealing motorcycles in the limits of different police stations, including the Shershah, Docks and Madina Colony police stations.
During another raid on Thursday, the AVLC North Nazimabad arrested a gang leader and notorious motorcycle snatcher, and recovered a stolen motorcycle and a pistol from his possession.
The AVLC spokesperson said the suspect, Niaz Ahmed, alias Ustaad, son of Maula Bakhsh, was a habitual motorcycle snatcher and had snatched motorcycles in the areas of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Bahadurabad, Jamshed Quarters, Saddar, Nazimabad and Nagan Chowrangi with his accomplices who hailed from Khuzdar, including Asim Brohi, Ghulam Nabi, alias Syed Gul, Ashraf, Muhammad Ali, alias Battery, and Jumman, alias Babu.
The police had tried to arrest him two months ago as well but he managed to flee the scene while his accomplice Ali, alias Battery, was arrested. He sold snatched motorcycles in Khuzdar, Balochistan, the spokesperson said, adding that he had been arrested twice earlier. He was also wanted by the Super Market and Khawaja Ajmair Nagri police.