Prime suspect of intelligence officer’s murder case killed

The District City police have claimed that the prime suspect of an intelligence officer’s murder case was killed during a shoot-out with law enforcers in Lyari on Wednesday. SSP Amjad Hayat said in a statement that the suspect Altaf was the leader of a six-member gang of robbers.

The District City police chief said the suspect was involved in the murder of Major Saad Rafique, who had been martyred almost a fortnight ago. SSP Hayat said the suspect was also involved in killing and injuring three civilians during robberies in Kalri and Baghdadi.

The officer said that Altaf’s criminal record has been obtained, adding that he was wanted in several incidents of firing on officials of the police force and other law enforcement agencies. The suspect was involved in several incidents of killing and injuring civilians during robberies, he added.

Major Rafique was attacked near the Sher Shah Bridge on March 31 when he was on his way home to Gulshan-e-Iqbal from an Iftar gathering. Altaf and his accomplices also wounded Asad, 22, on Mirza Adam Khan Road in Agra Taj Colony.

The suspect and his accomplices also deprived a businessman named Farooq of Rs500,000 at gunpoint near Machhar Colony Master Chowk, and opened fire on him. The gang was involved in several incidents of snatching bank cash and motorbikes. Raids are under way to arrest Altaf’s accomplices.

On April 9, after receiving information that one of the suspects of the Major Rafique murder case was sighted in SITE Area, the District Keamari police arrested him in an injured condition following a shoot-out.

Gang busted

The District Keamari police busted a three-member criminal gang late on Thursday night. Three suspects were arrested after a fierce exchange of gunfire, two of them in an injured condition.

A police party led by the Pak Colony SHO was patrolling the area when the three suspects riding a motorbike were asked to stop near the Mewa Shah graveyard. After a shoot-out, suspect Amir was arrested, while suspects Bilawal and Ahmed Ali were also arrested in an injured condition. Two 9mm pistols, ammunition and the stolen motorbike they were riding were seized from them.

The two-wheeler had been stolen from the limits of the Arambagh police station. During the interrogation, the suspects admitted to committing street crime in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Arambagh, the old city area and New Town.

The suspects are habitual criminals who had previously been arrested in different cases and had also been jailed. Bilawal had been arrested in five cases, Amir in four cases and Ahmed Ali in one case.