Rs22.8m snatched from currency dealers

TIMERGARA: Robbers shot and injured two currency dealers and snatched Rs22.8 million cash from them in broad daylight here on Wednesday, police and eyewitnesses said.

They said the robbers came in a car and opened fire on two persons identified as Zubair and Naseer carrying currency notes near their shop when they resisted to hand over the money to them. Both of them were shot in the legs. The robbers took the bag containing Rs22.8 million, according to the currency dealers. The injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Timergara where their condition was stated to be stable. The robbers escaped from the scene after committing the crime. The Timergara police registered a case against the accused and started a search.

Meanwhile, the trader community and local political leaders expressed concern over the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the accused. The traders observed a shutter down strike and blocked the main Timergara-Peshawar road for some time.

Anjuman-e-Tajiran Timergara president Haji Anwaruddin, general secretary Liaqzada, former tehsil nazim Riaz Muhammad, former tehsil nazim Imranuddin, PPP district information secretary Alamzeb, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lower Dir vice president Imran Khan and others condemned the incident. They said that it was the first incident where robbers attacked businessmen in broad daylight and escaped. They said the easy escape of robbers from the busy market was a question mark on the performance of local administration and police.