34 dacoits arrested, Rs2.89m booty recovered

Islamabad : Criminal Investigation Ag­e­n­cy (CIA) of Islamabad Police has busted eight gangs comprising 34 criminals involved in snatching valuables and cash at gun point and recovered cash worth Rs28.9 million, gold ornaments, cell phones, vehicles and weapons from them.

Addressing a press conference here at Rescue 15 on Friday, the DIG (Operations) Waqar Uddin Syed said that special task was assigned by IGP Islamabad Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan to ensure arrest of those involved in various criminal activities. He said that various police teams took prompt action and succeeded to arrest 34 criminals of eight gangs in short span of time.

SP (Investigation) Dr. Syed Mustafa Tanveer, SP (City) Zeeshan Haider, SP (Industrial Area) Zubair Ahmed Sheikh, SP (Saddar) Omer Khan, SP (Rural) Malik Naeem Iqbal, DSP Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) Hakim Khan and other police officials were also present on the occasion.

The DIG (Operations) Waqar Uddin said these criminals also included Afghan nationals who used to decamp to Afghanistan after committing crime here. Giving the details, he said that seven criminals of a notorious 'Satti Gang' were arrested who looted cash of Post Office in Rawal Town. "Police recovered looted cash Rs5.6 million, weapons, vehicle and bikes used in this dacoity incident," he maintained.

He said that another gang including three Afghan nationals was busted which looted a house at Orchard Scheme in Khana area after making house inmates hostage at gun point. DIG (Operations) said that national and foreign currency, imported weapons, gold ornaments and watches worth Rs12.1 million were recovered from them.

Four street criminals of another gang were held and mobile phones, cash worth Rs250,000 were recovered from them. A device used to change IMEI number of mobile phones was also recovered from one of the accused of this gang identified as Abrar.

He said that four maids were also held who used to loot houses after giving intoxicating material to the inmates while cash and gold ornaments worth Rs5.1 million were recovered from them. Another burglar gang comprising three criminals was busted while valuables including laptops, gold ornaments worth Rs0.95 million were recovered from them.

DIG (Operations) further said that four accused were held who used to snatch cash from account holders of a bank in Khanna. Police also recovered Rs400,000 and motorbike from them. They also confessed to strike in various areas of Cantonment Police Station, Rawalpindi and killing a person, Usman after snatching US dollars from him.

Another gang committing dacoities at houses had been also busted, the DIG (Operations) said and cash, gold ornaments worth Rs1.2 million were recovered from them.

He said that five persons snatching valuables from people on Islamabad Highway had been also arrested and three 30 bore pistols, two daggers and bikes were recovered from them.

DIG (Operations) said that further investigation is underway from the nabbed persons while their physical remands have been obtained from the concerned courts.

He said that police officials including SP (Investigation) Dr. Syed Mustafa Tanveer, DSP Hakim Khan, CIA police officials including Inspector Abdul Ghafoor, Sub-Inspectors Tariq Rauf, Suleman Shah, ASIs Jaffer Ali, Shakeel Butt and Rana Tasneem performed well. He announced cash prizes and commendation certificates for all these police officials and to forward their names to IGP Islamabad Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan for special prizes.

The DIG (Operations) said that Islamabad police is committed to ensure protection to the lives and property of the citizens and such efforts to curb crime will continue.