LARKANA, Nov 3: The Sindh police would launch anti-dacoits operation on small scale to uproot the menace from the province.

Police sources told Dawn on Friday that despite launching vigorous anti-dacoits operations in the past, the results had not been encouraging and that was why the police was going to adopt a new strategy.

The areas most infected with dacoits’ activities will now be targeted and even two SSPs from both banks of River Indus can initiate operation to get the desired results.

It has been observed that dacoits’ gang after committing a crime on one bank of the river cross to the other one to escape police action, the sources said.

A recently conducted survey shows that in Larkana division, 17 gangs of dacoits are actively operating with the strength of around 430 outlaws.

They operate from their permanent hideouts like Shahjo Belo located in the jurisdiction of Bachal Bhayo police station of Shikarpur district, Sadh Belo in the jurisdiction of Khairpur district, Jaman ji Kachi, Jagirani Belo, Nang Wah and Gora Teghani.

The information gathered tells that presently six gangs of dacoits with the strength of 50 members are active in Larkana district.

These criminal groups include the gang of Nazroo alias Nazar Mohammed Narejo, which operates in 20-kilometre area from Shahani ferry point to Akil ferry point and has 19 members, the gang of Lakho alias Lakhmir alias Munshi Narejo with 12 members, the gang of Ghulam Haider Shaikh with five members, the gang of Siddiki alias Sadoo Narejo with seven members, the gang of Gulab Jiskani with four members, and the gang of Mashooq Buriro with three members.

Six other gangs are active in Shikarpur district where the strength of dacoits is said to be around 350.

Efforts have been taken not only to curb the dacoits activities but also to deprive them

of their hideouts which they frequently use after committing crime, but to no avail, police sources told this correspondent.