Four members of gang who sold stolen mobile phones after changing IMEI held

The Sindh Rangers during targeted operations in different parts of the city arrested five suspects, including those who were part of a gang involved in changing the IMEI of mobile phones to sell them in the markets.

A spokesperson for the paramilitary force said that their personnel conducted a joint operation along with police on the basis of intelligence information in the New Karachi and Surjani Town areas and arrested four suspects involved in street crime.

The arrested men were identified as Usman, alias Bhora, Yasin Bengali, Imtiaz Ahmed, alias Ustad, and Ali Jan, alias Jani Sindhi. The law enforcers also claimed to have seized two pistols, ammunition, eight mobile phones and two stolen motorcycles from their possession.

During the initial investigation, the suspects admitted to their involvement in more than 400 incidents of robbery and street crime in different areas of Karachi. They reportedly used to sell stolen motorcycles, spare parts and stolen mobile phones in Sarina and Hyderi markets after changing their IMEI numbers and unlocking them.

Raids are being conducted to arrest their accomplices. The arrested men along with arms and ammunition, mobile phones and motorcycles have been handed over to the police for legal proceedings.

In a separate raid, Rangers troops and police, acting jointly on the basis of intelligence, arrested a most-wanted Lyari gang war commander, Sajid, alias Golimar, allegedly involved in murder, attempted murder, police encounter, terrorism and drug trafficking in Karachi.

According to the investigators, the accused joined the group of Lyari gang war commander Abdul Rehman Baloch, alias Rehman Dakait, in 2004. Later in 2009, at the behest of Lyari gang war kingpin Uzair Baloch, he joined the Lyari Gang War’s People Peace Committee and was appointed as the commander of the area. However, in 2016, he joined the Arshad Pappu gang.

During the initial investigation, the suspect admitted that he was involved in the Lyari gang war from 2004 to 2014, extortion, drug selling, illegal possession and delivery of weapons, police encounters and target killings of more than 15 people.

The suspect had fled the city during the Karachi operation to a neighbouring country and was running his network from there. He had recently returned and was reorganising his network. His name is also included in the Red Book of the Sindh Police's most-wanted terrorists. Several cases of murder, attempted murder, police encounter, terrorism and drug trafficking have been registered at the Pak Colony police station against him. He was handed over to the police for legal proceedings. Further investigations are under way.