Rawalpindi                         -                  The police have seemingly failed in controlling drastic surge in crime as auto theft gangs, dacoits and robbers have pilfered seven vehicles, 29 motorcycles and snatched cash, mobile phones, wrist watches and gold ornaments from citizens to the tunes of millions of rupees in 67 strikes in various parts of district in last 48 hours. Interestingly, the armed dacoits have also snatched cash and mobile phone from a policeman deputed on security duty.

The increasing street crime have caused sense of insecurity, fear and horror among the citizens especially in the women who are being looted on roads and in bazaars by gangs of armed dacoits even in broad day light with no action on part of police. According to details, auto theft gangs have picked away some seven vehicles from the precincts of police stations New Town and Airport. The victim car owners namely Inam Ur Rehman, Muhammad Bilal, Farooq, Jahangir, Aqeel and Bilal lodged complaints with police and cases were registered against the thieves. Some 29 motorcycles have also been stolen by unidentified robbers from limits of police stations City, Pirwadhai, New Town, Airport, Saddar Wah, SaddarBariooni, Murree, Banni, Waris Khan, Cantt, Naseerabad and Ganjmandi. All the victim owners approached police for filing cases and recovery of their stolen motorcycles, they said. The intensity of invasion of armed dacoits on the city can be judged from the fact that a cop of Special Branch of Punjab Police was robbed of cash and official mobile phone by a gang of dacoits in limits of PS RattaAmral. Likewise, a gang of armed dacoits had taken the control of all roads, streets and bazaars of city as dacoits snatched motorycle and mobile phone from Bilal in area of PS Pirwadhai. The dacoits also snatched mobile phones and cash from Asad, Mohib, Asif, Zil e Ahsan, Ilyas, AhsanQureshi, Kashif, Raja Khawar, Muhammad Haseeb and Waqas Gill on gunpoint in jurisdictions of police stations City, New Town, Cantt and Westridge. Police registered cases and began investigation with no recovery or arrest so far. No letup in crimes against women in the city as dacoits intercepted ShehnazAkhter in limits of PS City on gunpoint and snatched her purse containing Rs 20,000 cash and a mobile phone.

A gang of thugs also deprived ShahidaPervin of gold earrings and Rs 7000 cash by offering her lift in a case in KallarSyedan. In limits of PS SaddarBairooni, the dacoits loaded with guns stopped car of daughter in law of Muhammad Akram and snatched gold bangles and chain by cutting with steel cutter. In Taxila, dacoits looted Rs 10000 and gold ornaments from two women namely AsmaBibi and NafeesaBibi on gunpoint. Similarly, Nazia Imran was intercepted by armed dacoits in precinct of PS Airport and deprived her of purse containing cash and other cards. Another citizen namely JunaidAbbasi was also stopped by armed dacoits and snatched Rs 103000 and two mobile phones.  According to details, three dacoits stormed into a store in area of PS Airpor and snatched Rs 15000 from Qadir. House of Noor Uddin was mugged by robbers in limits of PS Airport. Shehzad Khan was stopped by three dacoits on gunpoint and was deprived of Rs 22000 in Taxila. Unknown robbers entered in house of Faisal and went away with gold jewellery and Rs 55000 cash in area of PS SaddarBairooni. A man namely Azhar was stopped by dacoits in KallarSyedan who tortured and snatched Rs 42000 and mobile phones from him.