ACLC arrests 52 car lifters, recovers 114 stolen vehicles in 2017

Islamabad : Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) of Islamabad Police has arrested 52 persons after busting 22 criminal gangs during 2017 and recovered 114 stolen vehicles as well as 23 motorbikes from them worth Rs77.3 million.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Sajid Kiani said that all efforts are being made to curb crime in the city and ensure protection to the lives and property of the citizens. He said that ACLC recovered 114 vehicles and 23 motorbikes during 2017 and nabbed 124 car lifters whose challans were submitted in courts after completing investigation on 224 cases. He said that extra vigilance of ACLC brought more success as it also recovered 10,080 gram hashish, 106 wine bottles, 95 cans of beer and four 30 bore pistols. The vehicles worth Rs77.3 million were recovered while five proclaimed offenders and three court absconders were also arrested.

The SSP (Operations) handed over keys of 40 stolen vehicles and eight bikes to their actual owners and said that efforts are being made to trace the remaining owners of vehicles and bikes as this process would be completed at earliest. On the occasion, senior officials of Islamabad police, notable citizen, owners of vehicles and media representatives were also present.

He said that most of the recovered vehicles included Corolla, Mehran, Honda, Khyber, Suzuki pick ups, Coure and Double Cabins. The SSP said that efforts of ACLC has brought great reduction in car lifting incidents and as its staff has also sacrificed their lives to curb vehicles theft. He said that several ACLC policemen got injured in police encounters and their services would be remembered for ever.

Sajid Kiani said that car and bike lifting incidents were at peak in 2014 as 766 vehicles and 442 motorbikes were lifted in that year. He said that accelerated efforts are being made to control this crime and ensure more recovery as 76 vehicles and 16 bikes were recovered in 2015 and 90 vehicles and 10 bikes in 2016.

The SSP (Operations) said that ACLC is working efficiently under supervision of SP (Investigation) Zeeshan Haider and recovery rate of vehicles by Islamabad police is higher than any other district.