LAHORE, Sept 1: Police claimed on Wednesday that they had arrested 21 members of five gangs of robbers. According to reports submitted to the city police chief office by SDPOs of various police circles , the accused were held in a campaign against outlaws in the last one week. They are said to have confessed to over 100 crimes against property.

An alleged ringleader, Amir Shahzad, and his three accomplices, Shahid, Mahfooz and Mushtaq, had allegedly been striking in northern parts of the city for the last few months. They were held on a tip-off.

Four pistols, 19 bullets and Rs10,000 besides electric appliances and cell phones were recovered from them. Sixteen crimes are said to have been committed by them. Five more robbers were arrested in Naulakha after the police kept one of them under surveillance on a tipoff.

They have been identified as Rafiq, Shahbaz, Muazzam, Imran and Nasrullah. They formed the gang in jail after being detained for petty crimes. They are said to have confessed to 12 crimes against property. Three pistols, a revolver and 21 bullets were recovered from them.

Four gangsters were held by a police team patrolling the Ravi bank. They included Allah Rakha, Khuram, Roshin Din and Arshad. Two of their accomplices, Nadeem Pathan and Pojo Khan, managed to escape.

Two pistols, a revolver, a rifle and 19 bullets are said to have been recovered from them. They are said to have confessed to over 24 crimes. Five motorcycle-lifters were apprehended in Naulakha.

They have been identified as Anwar, Abbas, Adil, Rahat and Munir. A stolen motorcycle, eight cell phones, Rs20,000, five pistols and 28 bullets are said to have been recovered from them. They are said to have helped police solve 17 cases of crime against property.

Three motorcycle-lifters were held on a tip-off when a raid was conducted in Misri Shah. They included Salman, Rizwan and Heera. They are said to have confessed to nine crimes. Four stolen motorcycles, a pistol and four bullets were recovered from them.