Guard involved in cash van robbery held

Rs1.9 million of the looted Rs12 million recovered, vehicle used by robbers found

Officials of the city’s District South police announced on Friday that an arrest had been made in connection with the April 20 cash van robbery in Clifton’s Block 4.

At a press briefing at his office, SSP South Saqib Ismail Memon said a suspect, Sanaullah, was apprehended in a raid conducted in Gulshan-e-Sikanderabad in the early hours of Friday. 

Sharing details of the robbery, he said the robbery took place when the cash van of ‘Al Sahara Money Changer’ was heading back to towards the firm’s head office on Burnes Road after collecting money from various outlets.

“When the van was near Beach View Park in Block 4 of Clifton, the guards of ‘VIP Security Company’, who we have identified as Sanaullah and Sabz Ali, held the van driver, Shafiq, and helper, Yaseen, hostage at gun point,” said the SSP.

This was when, Memon added, three of the guards’ associates showed up in a Suzuki pick-up van (KT-1954) and made away with Rs1,23,95,000 (over Rs12 million). 

An FIR was lodged at the Boat Basin Police Station on the complaint of Mohammed Babar, a manager at the foreign exchange firm.

The team formed for the case was led by Sub Inspector Ghulam Murtaza of the Investigation Branch, said the SSP.

“IO Murtaza and his team first raided the offices of VIP Security Company and arrested its owner, Kaleemullah. Records of the guard on duty with the cash van were sought and, later, a letter was written to the Sindh Home Department for action against the security company.”

SSP Memon said the investigation team worked on several leads and conducted raids in Khokharapar, Lyari, Manghopir, Korangi and SITE in search of the accused. 

Eventually, a raid on a house in Gulshan-e-Sikanderabad led to the arrest of a prime suspect, a security guard named Sanaullah. The SSP added that the suspect soon led investigators to the van used in the crime, where they also recovered a rifle and a 30-bore pistol used in the robbery and cash amounting to Rs1.945 million.

“The amount we found was to be Sanaullah’s share of the spoils. The rest of the money had already been distributed among the other accused who include security guard Sabz Ali, Sadar, Haji, Sohail, Saeed and one unidentified man.” 

SSP Memon concluded the presser by stating that investigators were optimistic of apprehending the other accused soon.