Cop among four Lyari ‘gangsters’ held after shootout

Karachi 

The Federal B Industrial Area police announced on Thursday the arrest of four alleged notorious gangsters of Lyari, including a police constable, saying that the men were allegedly involved in target killings of police officials and workers of political parties.

Station House Officer (SHO) Naeem Khan of FB Industrial Area Police Station said that acting on a tip-off, he along with his staff raided a hideout near Adil Bus Stop in Block 22, Federal B Area. On seeing the police, the suspects opened fire, which the law enforcers returned and arrested Shakir Baloch, Ubaidur Rehman, Asghar and Akram Lasi.

The men were shifted to the police station for interrogation. During the search of the hideout, the police found two rifle grenades and two pistols.

SHO Khan said the four gangsters were close aides of notorious gangster Jabbar Jhengu.

Shakir Baloch is a police constable posted at the Police Headquarters, Garden, and he is currently getting commando training at the Razzaqabad Police Training Centre.

Rehman Dakait got Shakir appointed to the police department in 2009, and he was said to be the right-hand man of Jhengu.

The SHO said that he had confessed to more than 15 murders, including the abduction and killing of Jhengu’s father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law in 2013.

Jhengu was said to have accompanied him and told him to kill his in-laws over a personal dispute. The bodies of the three victims were found in Kharadar.

Obaidur Rehman, Asghar and Akram Lasi were said to have been involved in more than 30 murders.

The SHO said the four also killed over a dozen MQM workers and supporters during Muhajir-Baloch ethnic riots. They abducted the workers and took them to a school in Lyari where they killed them and threw bodies in gunny bags in various parts of the city. Usually, they used ambulances in to the bodies of the victims.

The gangsters were also involved in killing cops and other gangsters. They used to generate funds for the Jhengu gang by extorting money from traders, shopkeepers and businessmen at Fisheries, Khadda Market, Machi Miani Market and other areas.  The SHO said the suspects were also running a gambling and narcotics business.