Using young blood, Lyari’s gang leaders crawling their way back

Commanders of area’s gangs forming smaller cells with fresh recruits with no criminal background, extorting traders using Whatsapp and Viber

Hit hard by the ongoing crackdown and facing shortage of funds, the criminal gangs operating in Lyari have adopted a new strategy to survive: form smaller cells and recruit youngsters with no previous criminal records.

Most leaders of the key gangs – mainly led by Uzair Baloch and Baba Laadla – have escaped the crackdown and found sanctuary in various towns of Balochistan.

The commanders of these gangs are facing a severe financial crunch as the law-enforcement agencies cut off sources of revenue including extortion money, sources familiar with the gangs told The News.

Also, unable to return to Lyari, their ability to extort money from traders and others has also been affected. 

But in recent months, the commanders have found a new way to operate – they have formed smaller cells, recruiting young men with no past criminal records.

With the help of these young men, the gang leaders have again started threatening traders to pay extortion money and on refusal, they attack them.

“Because the local commanders know about the traders and their contact details, they call through using social media call services including Whatsapp and Viber to demand extortion money. To collect the money, they use the newly recruited youth,” said a trader in Agra Taj neighbourhood of Lyari.

A political analyst who is researching on Lyari said the structure of these criminal networks appeared to be very “cell-oriented”.

“That’s why even when as the ‘bosses’ have been eliminated from the game, the organisations continues to thrive,” he added. However, the law-enforcement agencies have recently busted a number of such small groups.

Faizullah Korejo, the SSP City, said police were aware of the commanders’ new strategy to work in smaller cells.

“In the last seven months, the police in Lyari division have busted over 10 groups and during interrogation it was found that their members were trying to extort traders on behalf of their gang leaders, who remain fugitive since the launch of operation,” Korejo told The News.

On December 7, the Chakiwara police arrested three suspects Ashaf Ali Abadi, alias Tango, Captain, Ali and Syed; Syed Munawar Ali Zaidi alias Munoo; and Asif Haider at Darya Khan Road.

Korejo said the three men worked for groups led by notorious gang commanders Wasiaullah Lakho and Ayaz Zehri.

During interrogation, it was found that the arrested men were in involved in firing at a wine shop in Abbas Town on June 6 over refusal to pay extortion money.

Two employees working at the liquor shop and a security guard were killed in the attack. A few months ago, on Zehri’s orders, they had attacked a shop in Kaghazi Bazaar, Kharadar, over non-payment of extortion money and injured three people.

They had fired gunshots at a shop in Bond Market in January, injuring three people.

On the same day, the Kalakot police had arrested Abdul Majid, a key gang member of the Ghaffar Zikri group, behind Naguman Masjid in Gul Muhammad Lane area and found weapons and hashish in his possession. 

Lyari has long served as a base and haven for numerous criminal gangs and has historically been troubled by violent rivalries between gang leaders seeking to expand their share of illicit markets, including extortion, theft, smuggling, gambling, drugs, and arms.

But since the launch of operation in Karachi, Rangers and police began an operation to clean up the gangs, with many now arrested or killed in encounters. However, the top leadership has escaped.