KARACHI - The Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) on Monday claim to have busted an interprovincial gang allegedly involved in vehicles' lifting.
The ACLC has busted an eight-member gang of car thieves from Punjab and arrested three of its most active members including the kingpin who had been convicted several times in cases related to vehicle snatching, theft and fraud in Faisalabad, Okara, Sheikhupura and Lahore districts.
The ACLC officials said that the gang had recently shifted to Karachi to evade apprehension by Punjab police and get a new lease of life on their criminal activities, adding that having found a living shelter in a shanty locality of Khamiso Goth, the gang was mostly active in neighbouring areas of Central Karachi and stole about 40 vehicles in the current year targeting Toyota Corolla and Suzuki Mehran as the choicest booty.
The stolen vehicles would be later sold in Southern belt of Punjab and Peshawar on fake documents to gullible customers. The officials further said that probably taking a clue from practice of late registration of FIR in vehicular theft cases by Karachites, the thieves would take the vehicles out to Punjab on original number plates expecting least chance of being caught by personnel of law enforcement agencies at the check posts.
Five vehicles have been recovered so far while authorities in Punjab are being contacted to arrest other absconding gang members and effect recovery of remaining stolen vehicles.
Nine suspects held
Nine suspects among 12 outlaws were arrested besides recovery of arms and drugs during search operation of security forces in the metropolis on Monday.
The police during a raid in Sector 33/F of Korangi No 2.5 arrested two culprits with two TT pistols and over one kilogram drugs.
A drug peddler identified as Furqan was arrested with one kilogram hashish during a raid of police in Sultanabad, Docks police station jurisdiction.
The police and Rangers during joint operation in suburbs of Saddar Karachi arrested nine suspects.
The police confiscated the recovered arms, drugs and the detainees were being interrogated after registering separate cases against them.