Shop owner shoots robber dead in Malir

A shopkeeper foiled a mugging bid at his shop and gunned down an alleged outlaw in the Malir area on Monday.

Malir city police said two robbers barged into the battery shop situated near Anwer Baloch Hotel and held the owners and customers hostage at gunpoint. Two accomplices stood guard outside, as one of the robbers started looting cash and other valuables from the customers. The other suspect, identified as Nawaz Khan, emptied the cash counter and was leaving when one of the owners, Naseem, shot him in the back multiple times through the closed glass door of a portion in the shop.

This caused the other suspect in the shop and their accomplices outside to flee on their motorbikes, leaving behind the injured robber. The injured suspect also made a bid to escape but he collapsed on the service road, a few yards from the shop.

Later, the police attended the scene and took the injured robber to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), where he was pronounced dead. The police found weapons on him and reported a case.

Five suspect held

Paramilitary Rangers and police arrested three suspects -- Hikmatullah alias Badam, Zahir Shah and Abdul Rashid alias Akbar – on charges of involvement in robbery, theft, street crime and drug peddling in Orangi Town.

The suspect used to do recce of businessmen in Orangi and SITE town areas and loot them as they went to collect or deposit money from banks. After stealing motorcycles from parking areas, the outlaws used to take them to the Chilbaghuo area of Balochistan, sell them to drug dealers, buy marijuana and ice from them and sell them in Faqeer Colony, Orangi Town, and the surrounding areas of Karachi.

During the initial interrogation, the suspects confessed to looting more than 150 mobile phones and over Rs500,000 in cash in more than 100 robberies and street crime incidents. Raids are being conducted to arrest their accomplices. The suspects have been handed over to the police for further legal action.

The spokesman for the Rangers said personnel of Rangers and police in a joint operation based on intelligence inputs arrested two suspects -- Kashan (kingpin) and Rashid alias Naveed Bhangi -- over involvement in theft, robbery and drug peddling in FC Area in Liaquatabad. Illegal weapons and ammunition were also seized in the raid.

The suspects belong to the Jinnati dacoit gang, whose members have been involved in more than 250 incidents of theft, robbery and snatching of mobile phones in different areas, including Hussainabad, Karimabad, Garibabad, Post Office, Teen Hatti, New Golimar, Rizvia Society, Nazimabad, Board Office, New Karachi and Surjani, since 2013.

During interrogation, they admitted that they were also involved in providing renting illegal weapons to criminals. The two are alleged to be habitual offenders and have been arrested several times and jailed. Raids are being conducted to arrest their accomplices. The suspects have been handed over to the police for further legal action.