Gang of fake faith healers arrested in Balakot

MANSEHRA: The police on Saturday arrested a group of inter-provincial faith healers who used to deprive men and women of their hard-earned money and gold ornaments in the garb of changing their fortune.

“We have arrested four so-called faith healers who had deprived innocent people of their money and gold ornaments,” Tariq Khan, the SHO Balakot Police Station, told reporters.

He said that the police had received complaints that a group of fraudsters was active in Balakot and its suburbs and deprived people of money and gold.

“We had constituted a team of police personnel, which collected pieces of evidence and busted the gang, which will be produced before the court for physical remand,” the SHO said.

The arrested persons were identified as Qaisar Mehmood, Mohammad Asghar, Gulistan Mir and Shaukat Sultan.

“The gangsters used to enter into houses as faith healers and decamped with whatever they could collect through magical tricks,” the official said. He added that the police were also interrogating fraudsters for crimes committed by them in other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the officials of the Oghi Police Station arrested a group of robbers and seized goats and animals stolen by them in the city and its suburbs.

The police arrested the ringleader of the robbers, Ahmad Irfan, and seized dozens of goats and buffalos.

According to police, the robbers used to sell stolen animals and goats for sacrifice in cattle markets established in parts of Hazara division and the rest of the country.

They said that raids were also being made for the arrest of Riasat Mohammad and Mohammad Zakir who had managed to flee earlier.