LAHORE - Dacoits and robbers looted more than 13,000 families at gunpoint in the Punjab province during the previous year. Also, at least, 18,884 people were deprived of their vehicles.

Robbers last year hit the Punjab province for 12,325 times and made off with cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth millions of rupees. The latest police data reveals that at least 692 incidents of armed robberies involving more than five gunmen were reported across the province in 2017 as compared to 951 such incidents reported in 2016.

Although the government pumped billions of rupees into the police pocket to build capacity of the officers with modern equipment and weapons there was no let-up in the incidents of robberies, dacoities, theft, cattle-theft and burglary.

The police witnessed alarming trend in the incidents of “crime against property” with a total of 79,176 cases reported across the province in 2017 while at least 80,319 such cases had been reported in 2016. In all Punjab districts, gangsters robbed residences, shops, factories, looted families, motorists and even passersby and made off with cars, cash, gold ornaments, and other valuables worth billions of rupees.

According to police, at least 12,325 armed robberies took place across the province in 2017. However, at least 13,675 such incidents had been reported in 2016. Out of total 12,325 robberies reported last year, the police declared at least 1897 cases as untraceable. Similarly, 1,721 incidents were still under investigation while the police cancelled at least 569 cases of armed robberies. The police investigators charged suspects in more than 8138 cases.

The police registered at least 10,978 cases of burglaries in 2017 as compared to 11,627 such incidents reported in 2016. Out of total 10,978 cases, at least 3,266 burglary incidents were declared by police as untraceable and 1950 cases are still under investigation. The police however submitted challans before the courts in 5144 cases.

At least 1482 theft cases were registered with the Punjab police during the last year while in 2016 the police had reported at least 1375 such cases. Out of total reported theft cases, the police declared as untraceable at least 167 cases and 164 were still under investigation. The police challaned suspects in 921 theft cases. At least 230 cases were cancelled by police.

The police record shows that at least 15,474 vehicles were stolen away from different parts of the Punjab province during the previous year. In 2016, the police had reported 16,042 auto-lifting cases. Out of total such incidents, the police declared at least 4484 cases of auto-lifting as untraceable and 2743 are still under investigation. The police claimed to have challaned the suspects in 7803 cases while some 446 auto-theft cases were cancelled during the previous year.

In the category of motor-vehicle-snatching, the police reported at least 3410 cases in 2017 against 3857 such cases reported in 2016. Out of total motor vehicle snatching incident, the police declared at least 452 cases as untraceable and 434 cases are still under investigation. However, the police cancelled at least 132 FIRs of motor vehicle snatching. The suspects in 2392 cases were charged by police.

The police don’t report all robbery cases due to one or another reason. In most of the cases, victims have to run from pillar to post to get the cases registered with the police. Some police officials say they believe hundreds of people are robbed at gunpoint across the province daily but the police report only a few cases.

The police report only 25 percent of the total crimes incidents in order to maintain crime graph low. A police officer requesting anonymity said that the police deliberately conceal armed robberies which take place in the rural areas and small districts while the complainants are harassed when they approach the police stations for the registration of armed robberies.

At least 4,937 cases of cattle-theft were registered with the Punjab Police during the previous year. In 2016, the police had reported 5,380 cattle-theft cases. Out of total cattle-theft case reported in 2017, the police declared at least 419 cases as untraceable while 411 cases were still under investigation. The police cancelled at least 478 FIRs of cattle-theft incidents and submitted in the courts challans in 3,629 cases.

In Lahore, a gang of “dacoits in police uniform” is at large for the last couple of months. The robbers in uniform looted many families and motorists in different parts of the provincial metropolis but the police are unable to hunt down the criminals.

According to a senior police investigator, a good number of organised gangs are actively operating across the Punjab province. Some of them are arrested and sent to jails. They start committing armed robberies as they came out of prisons.

Every year, no less than 20,000 people are deprived of their vehicles either by thieves or robbers across the province. The police recover less than 10 percent of the total snatched or stolen vehicles while thousands of cases are declared as “untraceable” and disposed of after completion of legal formalities.

Punjab’s big cities, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi have virtually become safe havens for gangsters. The police data shows the incidents of dacoities, robberies, theft, and auto lifting are on the rise in these districts.

On the other hand, the police performance chart shows that the provincial police smashed 3,274 gangs by arresting their 9,393members during the previous year. In 2016, the police had arrested 9145 suspects and smashed at least 3,165 gangs of robbers and criminals. The police also seized huge quantity of fire arms including assault rifles, pistols and daggers and 525,740 bullets from their possession.

The Punjab Police killed more than 269 alleged criminals during ‘armed encounters’ in 2017 as compared to 340 criminals killed in shootouts with police during the corresponding period in 2016. Also, at least 17 policemen lost their lives and 60 others were wounded while fighting criminals in 2017.