ISLAMABAD  -  DIG, Islamabad Police, Syed Ali Raza, held a press conference on Monday at the Rescue 15 office in G-8 and told the media that Islamabad Police had arrested the dacoit from Sargodha early Monday morning. The individual was involved in back-to-back heists at banks and cash vans last Monday and Tuesday.  

“The dacoit is a 24-year-old criminal who is illiterate, mentally sick, and a deranged electrician inspired by movies,” said the DIG during the press conference. He further stated that weapons, a motorbike, cash, a mask, a scarf, and other items were recovered from him, and details would be shared later. DIG Raza noted that the accused has a criminal background in Sargodha, where a challan was presented against him. He had spent time behind bars there and had been working as an electrician in Islamabad for the last four to five years, which allowed him to know every inch of the city.

The DIG emphasized that the suspect did not use main highways or roads for his dacoities, adding that it was a unique case that was difficult to track. However, with the help of the CIA and CTD, they were able to arrest him.  

Multiple sources privy to the investigation and arrest of the accused told The Nation that he was inspired by crime and investigative shows on TV, where he learned how to keep his identity secret. The self-proclaimed “Robin Hood,” who was also a staunch follower of a religious political party, looted almost Rs. 2 million from two dacoities and distributed donations to mosques, widows, and religious madrasas. He also contributed some of the money to his house construction.   “I found him fearless and daring, not shy of death,” a source told The Nation. The father of the accused is a security guard at a religious political party madrasah, and the accused also donated some of the looted money there. “We examined more than 500 CCTV footage and inspected over 5,000 CDRs to apprehend this criminal,” stated another source involved in the investigation.  DIG Raza reported that the team watched 30 days of surveillance videos in three days, utilizing safe city cameras, digital surveillance, and data analysis. The IG of Islamabad has announced a hefty award for the team that worked on this case. He mentioned that the police force comprises 11,000 personnel, with some on static duty, and reiterated the Interior Minister’s vision to make Islamabad a crime-free city.