Seven held as gang involved in bank heists busted

Officials of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) busted a gang of robbers on Saturday by arresting its seven members on charges of robbing banks by breaking lockers.

In a statement, the SIU said it had received intelligence-based information that a gang involved in breaking lockers of banks had once again become active in the city and its members were also performing guard duties at various banks. The tip-off also said that the gang would enter Karachi with guards once again and might use the National Highway route this time.

Responding to the intelligence, SIU personnel were deployed on the National Highway for checking. During the process, they witnessed a Prado jeep along with two motorcycles heading towards the city. They signalled them to pull over, but the suspects opened fire after seeing the cops. The law enforces retaliated, and, after a brief encounter, arrested seven men riding in the jeep. However, the suspects on the motorcycles managed to escape.

The arrested men were identified as Muhammad Nasir, Syed Ali Hussain, Alam Khan, Abdullah, Rufaanullah, Mir Haider Hussain (a security guard) and Muhammad Aqil (a security guard). Seven pistols, three hand crackers, a hand grenade and 10 kilograms of hashish were said to have found on them.

During the initial quizzing, the investigators learnt that the men belonged to Parachinar and were associated with a gang involved in bank heists.

Their modus operandi included recruitment of their men in security companies as guards to get information from inside the banks. They were planning to rob a bank in Karachi and information about the plan had been shared with the gang members by the two guards.

Drugs seized

The Pakistan Navy and the Anti-Narcotics Force on Friday carried out a joint operation in the sea and seized a huge amount of narcotics valued at approximately Rs1.8 billion off Jiwani, Balochistan.

The Navy spokesman said 200 kilogrammes of ice and 99 kilogrammes of crystal were seized during the operation. He said the seized drugs were to be smuggled to an unknown destination through the Arabian Sea.

The seized drugs were handed over to the ANF for legal proceedings. “The successful execution of the joint operation with the ANF is a demonstration of our resolve to counter illegal activities in the Maritime Zones of Pakistan and promote the maritime security in the region,” said the Navy spokesman.