Looted money recovered, Elite Force cop among 5 held in Hangu

HANGU: The police claimed to have recovered the looted money and arrested five members of a gang of robbers, including a cop of the Elite Force, on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference here, District Police Officer Asif Bahadur said that masked armed robbers had looted the liquefied petroleum gas plant at Shinko Banda area on the night of October 3 last.

He said that the robbers first took the staff hostage at gunpoint and then broke the safe and looted about Rs4 million and decamped with the cash.

The official said that the police constituted a special team headed by Superintendent of Police (investigation) to probe the case and arrest the accused.

He said that SP Investigation Arshad Mahmood and Deputy Superintendent of Police Amjad Hussain, Station House Officer Mahmood Alam and Additional Station House Officer Sawab Ali after thorough probe on scientific lines recovered Rs3.6 million out of the looted money.

The police, the DPO said, also arrested five accused identified as Khalid Rahman, Mukamil Khan, Farmanullah, Samad Habib and Muhammad Israr. The police also seized the vehicle and weapons used in the crime, including a motorcycle, two Kalashnikovs and a pistol.

Khalid Rahman was stated to be a ringleader of the gang and a cop of the Elite Force.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation.