474 arrested in Peshawar search operation

PESHAWAR: Around 474 suspects were arrested in a massive search and strike operation carried out by the Peshawar Police along with army soldiers and officers of the Pakistan Air Force in the vicinity of the Bacha Khan International Airport and PAF airbase on Friday.
The search operation started at 5am and it continued for five hours. All the superintendents of police (SPs), sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) and other officials took part in the operation. It was carried out in the limits of Tehkal, University Town and Pishtakhara police stations.
“Apart from the officers, over 400 policemen and around 100 army soldiers took part in the operation. We divided the area into three zones each headed by one SP,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Mian Saeed Ahmad told The News.
He added that 48 teams were constituted for conducting the operation.The deputy police chief of the capital city said the experts of the bomb disposal unit, geo-tagging and vehicles verification accompanied the police teams.
“A number of suspected buildings and people were checked. Those arrested during the operation included suspects, proclaimed offenders and Afghans illegally staying in KP,” Mian Saeed said.
The massive operation, jointly carried out by the police army and PAF officers, is part of the new policy of proactive policing to secure Peshawar from attacks.Similar actions will be taken in the coming days. The routine search operations are already taking place in different parts of the provincial capital after the attack on the Army Public School on December 16.