One dead, another injured in Super Highway mugging

A 48-year-old vegetable vendor was shot dead and another injured on Tuesday in yet another street crime incident in the city.

According to Sohrab Goth Division SP Shabbir Baloch, a Suzuki pick-up vehicle carrying nine people was intercepted by four robbers, who were on two motorcycles, near Jamali Flyover on Super Highway.

He said the robbers told the passengers, who who were heading to the wholesale fruits and vegetable market, to hand over their cash and mobile phones. After collecting the loot from the six men riding in the Suzuki's loading compartment, the robbers moved to the vehicle's cabin which had three passengers - the deceased Waseem Ahmed, 22-year-old Adnan Umar and the driver.

The SP, quoting witness reports, said Waseem was handing over a wad of money to the muggers when the cash slipped out of his hand. As he bent down to pick it up, the robbers panicked and opened fire at Waseem. Consequently, Waseem and Adnan suffered multiple bullet wounds while the vehicle's driver remain unscathed.

While the robbers managed to make an unimpeded escape, the victims were were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Waseem, who was a resident of Liaquatabad, soon succumbed to his injuries while Adnan remains under treatment.  

‘2,000 phones snatched in two months’ While there has been considerable progress since the security operation commenced in Karachi over four years ago, street crimes have once again become a pressing issue for the city.

As per data compiled by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), 1,103 mobile phones were snatched and 1,479 were stolen in February this year. In the same month, 14 cars were snatched and 87 were stolen while 180 motorbikes were snatched and 1,772 were stolen.

Similarly, in January, a total of 1,257 mobile phones were snatched and 1,500 phones were stolen. Over the course of the month, 26 cars were snatched and 10 cars were stolen while 209 motorbikes were snatched and 1,863 were stolen.