KARACHI, Jan 15: A truck loaded with tobacco consignment was snatched at gunpoint by armed men in North Nazimabad on Thursday morning. Later, the truck (JU-905) was found abandoned in the New Karachi while its consignment comprising different brands of cigarettes worth over Rs3.1 million was recovered from the premises of a religious seminary located in same area, a senior police official of the New Karachi Town said.

Police said that the truck came out from a godown of the company located near five star roundabout when it was intercepted by five armed men in a Suzuki pickup.

The truck, which was fitted with a tracker, was carrying 257 cartons of cigarettes worth approximately Rs3.1 million, Jameel Yousaf of C-Tracker company told Dawn.

The armed men dragged out the driver and cleaner. They made them sit in the back of the truck. The suspects took the truck to a seminary located near the Green Bus Depot in New Karachi.

Police said that the suspects told the Nazim-i-Aala of Madrassah that Qari Bilal has sent them to unload the consignment. Thus, the entire consignment was unloaded within 27 minutes in the premises of the religious seminary, Major Khalid of C- Tracker told Dawn.

Later, the truck was moved out of the premises and was left abandoned near New Karachi police station. The armed men told the driver not to come out of the truck atleast for half an hour. The five suspects escaped from the spot after dumping the vehicle.

SHOT DEAD: A young shopkeeper was shot dead by unknown armed men near Cattle Colony, Malir on Thursday. Police said that Zaheer, 25, owner of a general store located near Cattle Colony was sitting at his shop when unknown armed men came there and opened fire at him. Without taking anything from the shop, the armed men escaped. The injured was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police said that a pedestrian identified as Azeem Khan was also wounded in the firing.