February 15, 2003	Saturday	Zul Hijjah 13, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Feb 14: Four armed robbers on Friday looted Rs2.7 million from the cash van of a petroleum company on motorway (M-2) near Kalar Khar and escaped.

Police said Khan Dil and Mohammad Ilyar, cashier of Shell Petroleum company, were travelling to Lahore in their van (LHK- 6174) after collecting cash from filling stations when their vehicle broke down near Kalar Kahar. While they were waiting for police help, a car stopped near by and four persons got out, who held them gunpoint.

The gunmen snatched the cash from them and escaped in their car.

Meanwhile, three houses were burgled in Islamabad during Eid holidays, police said.

Khalid Pervez, a resident of I-8/2, in a complaint lodged with the police, said he had gone to celebrate Eid in his native town, and when he returned, he found the locks of his house broken and gold jewellery and other valuables stolen.

In a similar incident, burglars broke into a house in I-8/3 and decamped with cash, foreign currency, wrist watches and other valuables.

Mohammad Asif, one of the burglary victims, told the police that he had gone to visit his relatives, and his tenant, Kazim, was also out of the city, when the incident took place. The estimated value of items and cash stolen is yet to be ascertained, the police said.

In the third incident, Mohammad Iqbal, another resident of I-8/3, told the police that cash and jewellery were stolen from his house.

Meanwhile, the Airport Security Force has arrested a Ugandan woman and seized 700 grams heroin from her possession, the authorities revealed.

The ASF officials at the airport said the woman, who was identified as Ms Solomy, was found acting suspiciously while the checking-in of the passengers of Karachi-bound flight PK-305 was in progress on Eid day.

Rukhasana Sharif, an ASF officer, carried out the body search of the Ugandan woman, which led to the seizure of the contraband, the authorities said.