LAHORE - Five gunmen robbed three shops on a busy road in Mughalpura and fled after collecting cash and valuable worth Rs500,000, police sources claimed on Friday.

Eyewitnesses told the police that five dacoits equipped with automatic weapons forced their entry into a bakery located on the Shalimar Link Road on Friday morning. The dacoits overpowered the private security guards, held up the salesmen at gunpoint, and collected Rs 73,000 from the shop. Then, they burst into an adjacent garments shop. The gunmen smashed the windowpanes of the shop and fired shots in the air to terrorize the salesmen. The dacoits also snatched away Rs 80,000 and garments from the shop. Not enough, the robbers then stormed into another renowned garments shop and fled after collecting cash and garments worth Rs 300,000.

A salesman told reporters that the dacoits looted three shops within 10 minutes and fled without facing any resistance. The police reached the spot when the dacoits had escaped. The police were investigating the daylight shop robberies with no arrest made yet.

Meanwhile, robbers riding on motorcycles and equipped with pistols robbed families and motorists at gunpoint and escaped after collecting cash, gold ornaments, mobile phones, and other valuables worth Rs 1.6 million from different parts of the city.

According to police sources, four gunmen forced their entry into the factory of Shahzad in the Green Town police vicinity. The robbers held up the factory workers at gunpoint and snatched away cash and valuables worth Rs 500,000.

Mahboob riding in a car along with his wife was on his way home when two motorcyclists intercepted his vehicle on a busy road Shafiqabad police area. The couple was deprived of cash, gold ornaments and mobile phones worth Rs 200,000. Similarly, Feroz and his wife were deprived of cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 220,000 by two gunmen in the limits of Nawab Town police.

A motorcyclist Ijaz and his wife were stopped by two gunmen in the limits of Model Town police station. The couple was deprived of cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 100,000 at gunpoint.

Two motorcyclists held up Farooq and his family at gunpoint in the Millat Park police precincts and escaped after snatching cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 270,000.

Another motorcyclist Saleem and his wife were on their way home when two gunmen stopped them on a road in the limits of Hydyara police station.

The robbers held up the couple at gunpoint and fled after snatching cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 200,000.

Two motorcyclists stopped Shoaib and his family in the Shalimar police area and snatched away cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 160,000 at gunpoint. Three motorcyclists held up Yasin and his family at gunpoint in the Shalimar police area and fled after collecting cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 100,000.

Also, three cars were stolen away from Ghalib Market, Hanjarwal, and Harbanspura police areas. Six motorcycles were either snatched at gunpoint or stolen away from the Lorry Adda, Nolakha, Factory Area, Mughalpura, North Cantonment, and Baghbanpura police areas respectively. The police were investigating the incidents.