LAHORE – Police investigators on Thursday claimed to have smashed a gang of hardened criminals by arresting its nine members involved in several incidents of armed robberies.
“The gangsters were wanted to the police in many cases of armed robberies. They had looted several jewelry shops, residences, and filling stations. We have also recovered looted cash and valuables worth Rs10 million from their possession,” SSP (Investigations) Babar Bakhat Qureshi told reporters while addressing a press conference at the Investigations Headquarters Qila Gujjar Singh on Thursday.
Flanked by SP CIA Muhammad Omar Virk and DSP Khalid Abu Bakar, the top police investigator further said that during preliminary investigations, the arrested robbers confessed to no loess than 59 incidents of armed robberies that they had committed in different parts of the provincial metropolis.
According to police, on the directions of Capital City Police Officer, DIG (Investigations) Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmad constituted a special team headed by SP CIA Muhammad Omar Virk, which collected particulars of the gang and arrested the bandits during a successful operation. The arrested dacoits were also involved in armed dacoities at the Rahat Jewelers in the City Raiwind and the Chohan Jewelers in the Chuhng area.
The criminals had also shot at and injured salesman of the shop and two passers-by on resistance during a robbery attempt.
“The same bandits had also shot at and wounded a security guard and a cashier during an armed robbery attempt at two petrol pumps situated at the Guru Mangat Road and Main Boulevard Gulberg respectively,” Babar Bakhat explained.
The SSP further said that the members of the gang, identified as Don Dacoit gang, had also looted Azam Jewelers, Sarfaraz Jewelers and Kashif Jewelers in Abid Market and Chungi Amarsidhu areas. They had collected gold ornaments worth Rs2.5 million and escaped. The arrested members of the gang were identified as Waheed alias Don, ringleader of the gang, and his accomplices including Qaiser Mahmood, Nazir alias Mitho, Arif alias Wattoo, Gulsher alias Shari, Haji Shahbaz, Shamim alias Kali, Raza Shah and Waqas alias Vikki.
The bandits also confessed to the investigators that they had robbed 16 jewelry shops located in the in Hanjarwal, Gulberg, Chuhng, Kot Lakhpat, Ichhra, Millat Park, Factory Area, Township, Faisal Town and Raiwind City areas. They had also snatched away cash from seven petrol pumps located in the Ghalib Market, Samanabad, Garden Town, and Township police precincts. Further investigations are underway.
(The Nation)
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