Seven muggers arrested with help of CCTV footage

Paramilitary Rangers on Thursday claimed to have arrested seven members of two gangs of street criminals involved in a number of muggings in parts of the city.

The arrests were made after the suspects were identified through CCTV footage. Five members of a gang were taken into custody by paramilitary troops during a raid conducted on a tip-off in Quaidabad area. They were identified as Kashif Awan alias Kashif Tinda, Ashiq Khan alias Ashi, Irfan alias Elfi, Nabil alias Chepar and Naveed alias Naik.

According to the Sindh Rangers spokesman, the gang members were involved in a number of cases of street crime in Malir and Korangi districts, and looted Rs700,000 from a general store in Quaidabad on September 11.

Arms, ammunitions and motorcycles were seized from the possession of the suspects. Two more suspected criminals were arrested during a raid conducted on a tip-off in Malir area. The suspects were identified as Shahid alias Mota and Aqeel alias Kala.

According to the Rangers spokesman, the two were involved in various cases of street crime, and, during the initial course of interrogation, they admitted to stealing motorcycles from parking lots of markets to use them in snatching bids. He said the robbers also made a botched attempt to loot a shop in Malir last month. They fled when the shop owner resisted, he added.

Two men killed

Ttwo men were injured in a shooting that took place near Nala Stop, Sector 11-D within the limits of New Karachi police station.

The victims were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was identified as Muhammad Kashif and the injured as Zeeshan Hassan. Kashif’s body was later handed over to his family for burial.

After receiving information, police officials reached the site of the attack and questioned passers-by and possible witnesses. They also collected three empty shells of a 9mm pistol from the scene and sent them to the forensic division for ballistics cross matching.

According to the cops, in their initial investigation, they did not find any evidence that could suggest that the victim was killed over resisting a robbery attempt. Officials said two armed men riding a motorcycle had targeted and killed Kashif, adding that the actual motive behind the incident has yet to be ascertained but it seemed that the victim was killed over personal enmity.

Similarly, 18-year-old Tariq Riaz was shot dead in Chakra Goth, Korangi within the limits of the Zaman Town police station. He was shot once in his head and died on the spot. His body was moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and later handed over to his family for burial.

Police officials said he was sitting outside his house when two armed men on a motorbike shot him after he tried to resist a mugging attempt. The armed assailants managed to escape from the scene. The police have registered a case against unidentified persons on behalf of the victim’s brother and initiated further investigations.