Rangers, police arrest three most wanted Lyari gangsters

The paramilitary Rangers and police in a joint operation based on intelligence inputs have arrested three most wanted gangsters involved in a number of murder, kidnapping for ransom and extortion cases.

The spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said on Thursday that the suspects, identified as Farhan alias Indian, Salman alias Mulla alias Yasin and Mohammad Haris alias Kali, belong to the Lyari gang war’s Commander Ayaz Zehri Group and were involved in murders, extortion and street crime. Moreover, weapons and ammunition used in the incidents were also seized from their possession.

Farhan alias Indian had joined the gang war in 2011 and till 2014 he had been involved in extortion, firing and killing of more than 30 people. In 2013, he was sentenced to 19 years in jail by an ATC and 15 years by a sessions court, while the Sindh High Court later set aside the sentences and acquitted him.

In 2024, Farhan joined a group of commanders Ayaz Zehri and Arsalan Patni, collected extortion money, conducted recce of under-construction buildings of various builders and provided videos and phone numbers to the gang war commanders. He had also been involved in transporting weapons and ammunition sent by gang war commander Ayaz Zehri to Haris alias Nak Katta for recovery operations.

On June 24, 2024, on the orders of Ayaz Zehri, along with his accomplice Rehan alias Akash, he went to open fire at the under-construction building at the Punjabi Club, Kharadar. He managed to escape after the arrest of his accomplice Rehan alias Akash during that incident. The accused had also been involved in receiving weapons and ammunition from Moiz alias Katta and Salman alias Mulla alias Yasin and delivering them to other criminals.

Salman alias Mullah alias Yasin joined a religious congregation in 2014 and was involved in various criminal activities along with Abdul Samad alias Farhan. He had been playing a key role in extortion and robbery crimes before his capture. On the instructions of Ayaz Zehri and Arsalan Patni, he had been involved in receiving weapons and ammunition from unknown suspects of gang war and sending them to Farhan alias Indian, Moiz alias Katta and others.

On June 24, 2024, the accused had provided his motorcycle to Farhan and Rehan, the man who opened fire at the under-construction building at the Punjabi Club, and also was caught by police during the arrest of Rehan.

Haris alias Kali recently joined the extortion and robbery gang of Abdul Samad alias Farhan’s frontman Yusuf alias Mota. Yusuf alias Mota, Farhan alias Jhujhi and Hamza Qureshi along with his other accomplices had also been involved in recce and planning to open fire at five places for extortion. The suspects have been handed over to the police for further legal action.