KARACHI - Armed bandits looted Rs 7 million in robbery at money changer office located in the limits of Shahrah-e-Faisal police station here on Monday.
Police said that three armed robbers barged into the money exchange office located at Block 17, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and held the money changer manager and security guards hostage at gunpoint.
Gunmen took the manager and security guards into the office when they reached to open the office as per routine, police said added that the bandits managed to looted the available cash of Rs 7 million including foreign currency within one minute.
Reacting on information, law enforcers reached the site and started to probe the incident. The police investigators also detained both the security guards, namely Hakim Ali and Khadim Hussain, over suspicious of being involved and started questioning them.
Police officials said that the armed men completed their swift operation within one minute and also took the shotguns of both the security guards with them while fleeing on a motorcycle.
Police officials also obtained CTV footage from the money changer as well as the finger prints of the suspects. The money changer manager Arsalan Ahmed later told the media that he along with security guards was opening the money changer as per routine when suddenly the three armed men on a motorcycle came and held them hostage at gunpoint, adding that they also took the guns of the security guards who were kept inside the money changer away with them while fleeing.
The manager further told that this is the second such incident to have occurred in six months as earlier the armed men had also looted Rs2.7 million rupees from the same money changer and also injured him after he had offered resistance on a robbing bid.
DSP Zahid Hussain said that police have registered the case and started collecting evidence, including CCTV footage, to arrest the criminals.
IGP Sindh Dr Syed Kaleem Imam also took a notice of the incident and sought a detailed report over the incident from the police officials concerned and ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects.
Four shops robbed
Armed bandits robbed two travel agencies among four shops in Soldier Bazaar locality. Police officials said that the travel agencies and the shops were located at Bahadur Yar Jang Road in Soldier Bazaar No 3, adding that the police have also obtained CCTV footage from one of the travel agencies which suggested that the only one suspect was behind the robberies.
Police officials said that the robber looted the travel agencies and the shops while cutting their locks on the night between Sunday and Monday, adding that the robbers looted Rs35000 from one travel agency and Rs2500 from the other travel agency while remaining two shops owners also complained of loss of hundreds of rupees.
According to SHO Abdullah Bhutto, the police have registered a case while trying to trace and arrest the suspect with the help of the CCTV footage.
THREE SUSPECTS HELD
Three suspects allegedly involved in short term kidnapping and street crimes were arrested in injured condition after an exchange of fire with the police within the remits of Shahrah-e-Faisal police station.
Police said that the encounter took place at Block 16-A in Gulistan-e-Jauhar within the limits of Sharae Faisal police station when the police personnel busy on snap check intercepted them, adding that the armed men instead of surrendering opened indiscriminate fire at them and tried to escape. In retaliation, the police also fired back and arrested them in injured condition. Police officials said that the suspects arrested were included Rahimuddin, Saleem Haider Rizvi and Atif Hussain.
They were later taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medical treatment under police custody. Police officials also claimed to have recovered three pistols, credit cards, cell phones, looted cash and a motorcycle from their possession.
Police said that the suspects were involved in various cases of short term kidnapping, robberies and street crimes.
The cases against them were registered while further investigation was underway.