MULTAN, Sept 23: The railways police have busted an alleged gang of robbers, which used to deprived passengers of their valuables after administering them drugged food.

Multan division railways police chief Sain Allah Rakhio Mirani said at a press conference on Tuesday that they were involved in the last week incident when 19 passengers were found unconscious in the Zakariya Express at Sadiqabad and Khanpur railway stations.

The arrested members of the gang are Ismail Kulachi (Ahmadpur East), Hashmat Ali (Ahmadpur East) and Nasir Ali (Aurangi Town, Karachi).

He said the police were grilling a vendor of Rohari (Sindh) railway station from whose stall most the passengers who fell unconscious took meal, but an informer disclosed their names by telephone. They were arrested from a village near Ahmadpur East in Bahawalpur district.

He said accused Ismail had earlier been arrested and in according to police record he was in prison in three different cases of robbing passengers by administering drugged meal to them at Khanewal. But, the accused claimed that he was granted bail by a court.

He said accused Nasir was a teenage boy and had been associated with the gang for the one year. Mr Mirani said the police found it difficult to track them down because they planned the crime at one station, implemented the plan at another while fled away from another place.

He said 300 cases have so far been reported to the railways police of Multan region during the current year. He claimed that the actual crime rate would be much more than reported. He announced setting up of a passengers help centre at the Multan railway station within a week.