Animals worth millions stolen in 12 robberies at Memon Goth farms

Dairy farmers lost millions of rupees in 12 incidents of animal theft in the Memon Goth area during the last month, The News has learnt.

Farmers said police and other law enforcement agencies had failed to protect them from burglars who had stolen expensive animals from their farms and left the scene on foot. Millions of animals were kept in hundreds of farms for processing, storage and distribution of milk and dairy products in the Memon Goth area, they said.

Snatching and theft of sacrificial animals were on the rise ahead of Eidul Azha in the metropolitan but Memon Goth had become the city’s most affected area, they added. Talking to The News, dairy farmer Naveed Hassan said robbers had made away with 10 expensive bulls and 20 goats from his farm house on August 2.

After entering the daily business 11 months ago, Hassan started a farm in the Memon Goth and also housed sacrificial animals on the eve of Eid. “But unknown burglars stole 20 of my sacrificial animals which I wanted to sell on Eidul Azha. Each bull weighed about 800 kilogram.”

He said the robbers had taken away the best animals kept along around hundreds of cows, bulls, goats at his farm. Hassan has registered a case with Memon Goth police, but the majority of victims have not lodged their complaints, SHO Memon Goth Gulzar Hussain Tunio said.

While police reaffirmed their commitment to arrest the culprits and recover the stolen animals, they urged the victims to cooperate with the investigators. “Four cases of the animal theft were registered during the last month,” he said. “But the majority of victims have not lodged complaints against robbers.”

SHO Tunio claimed that police had arrested some suspects in connection with robberies at farms. “Following their arrests, no such incidents were reported in Memon Goth.” But Memon Goth police investigation officer Muhammad Hussain Lashari said he the victims were cooperating with the police and, therefore, no evidence could be collected so far to solve the case.

“We requested farm owners to identify the suspects but they declined to do so, saying that they were afraid of making enemies as they wanted to continue their business in the area,” he said. Quoting an example, Lashari said a victim had pardoned his own guard who was involved in a robbery incident at his farm.

“The victim got his guard released from the police custody due to the pressure of area residents.” Malir SSP Rao Anwar Ahmed said he had directed the SHO Memon Goth police to increase patrolling in the area during the night time to keep a check on the robbers. SSP Ahmed said he had warned the SHO of departmental action if he failed to stop increasing number of robberies in the Memon Goth area.

Two citizens shot for resisting mugging bids

Two persons were shot and injured by robbers on resistance in robbery incidents in the metropolis on Thursday. According to rescue sources, two robbers riding a motorbike tried to rob a 45-year old-man, Younis, in Surjani Town, but when he offered them resistance, the outlaws shot him and escaped from the scene. 

The man was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Separately, a 25-year-old man, Muhammad Farooq, son of Zahoor, suffered injuries when he offered resistance to bandits during a robbery in Baldia Town. He was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.  

Stray bullet hits woman 

A woman was injured in a firing incident in the Korangi area.  According to rescue sources, a 35-year-old woman, Kausar, was injured when she was hit by a stray bullet near Nasir Jump. She was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where her condition was stated to be stable.  

Drug addict dies

A drug addict died of overdose in the Landhi area. According to rescue sources, the health of the 30-year-old man, whose identity could not be ascertained immediately, deteriorated when he took an overdose of some drug. A little while later, the man died.  The body was taken to the Chhipa morgue for want of identification. — PPI