KARACHI - Law-enforcement agencies claimed to have arrested another chief of defunct militant organisation among 25 suspects during separate raids here on Tuesday.
An alleged Karachi chapter chief of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was arrested from Hub River Road on Tuesday.
Special Investigation Unit officials said that accused Tariq Shafi Ansari was arrested near Link Road when a raid was conducted on a tip-off.
Two hand grenades, a pistol and a rifle were also recovered from his possession. Police claimed that he was involved in various cases of sectarian killings including the target killings of former medical superintendent of Sindh Government Hospital, Dr Hassan Alam Zaidi and Government Degree College, Liaquatabad’s principal Sibte Jaffer.
They said that the accused was also arrested in 2001 over his involvement in sectarian killings and was later released on bail in 2008. Officers said that after the arrest of former Karachi chapter chief of LeJ, Hafiz Qasim Rasheed arrested by CID police last year, the organisation made him a new chief for Karachi.
Crime Investigation Department police claimed to have arrested a dismissed policeman from jail police for having ties with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. CID police said that Kamran aka Kami was a dismissed police official from jail police and currently associated with the TTP’s fund generating team. He was arrested during a raid conducted on a tip-off in Korangi Industrial Area along with a TT pistol. They said that the accused was also involved in bank robberies.
Moreover, about 22 suspects were taken into custody during targeted raids and operations in parts of the city, including Frontier Colony, SITE and Rasheedabad. Law enforcers also claimed to have recovered weapons from their possession. There were reports that the suspects were allegedly involved in the bomb blast outside the Rangers complex in Korangi locality on April 3 that claimed lives of four soldiers and wounded several others. On the other hand, Rangers spokesperson when contacted denied the reports about the arrests of these suspects.
Meanwhile, district east investigation police claimed to have recovered a son of the Hindu rice trader and arrested the alleged kidnapper, Rana Ilyas.
According to police, the accused had kidnapped the victim, Mahinder Kumar on April 25 and demanded Rs20 million ransom money. According to police, there was a dispute between the rice trader and the accused over Rs0.2 million, upon which the accused kidnapped his son and demanded ransom. The victim’s former employee Asif was also involved in the kidnapping.