KARACHI, Nov 3: With only few days left in the festival of Eid, incidents of street crime have increased in the city, especially in the shopping and business areas where banks are located. House robberies have also increased.
On Tuesday alone, cash worth Rs 2.46 million was robbed or snatched at gun point in four incidents in different parts of the city.
Besides, two persons were shot at during two incidents of cell phone and motorcycle snatching in Korangi and Garden areas.
Four armed men sneaked into the house of a trader in Block-L North Nazimabad held the inmates hostage and fled after collecting Rs336,000 cash, two digital cameras and three cell phones.
In Gulshan-i-Iqbal Block-3, three armed suspects barged into a cell phone shop and fled after collecting cell phones worth around Rs 115,000.
In Block 13-D Gulshan-i-Iqbal, armed men barged into the house of Mohammad Hanif, held the inmates hostage at gunpoint and escaped with 950 US dollars, Rs 240,000 and three cell phones.
Mohammad Sohail was going on his motorcycle in Gulshan when he was intercepted by another man on his motorcycle who deprived Sohail of Rs 120,000. Police said Sohail was returning from a bank branch after withdrawing cash.
Mohammad Yasin, 35, was shot at by two men when he tried to pose resistance to them during a cell phone snatching in Korangi No.1.
In Garden area, an employee of Pakistan Post Office, Khalid Zafar, was shot at and wounded during a motorcycle snatching bid in Shoe Market. He was taken to Civil Hospital for treatment.
Incidents of snatching of cash, cell phone and jewellery from women are being reported from Gulshan-i-Iqbal near Disco Chowrangi, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, near Jauhar Chowrangi, Haroon Royal City, Azizabad, Tariq Road, Saddar and Korangi areas.
In Gulistan-i-Jauhar, the area under the jurisdiction of Shahrea Faisal police station is the worst hit as a majority of the crimes are taking place at this place, residents complain.
On last Saturday night, a family was returning home after Eid shopping when they were intercepted by a car occupied by armed men. They deprived the family of goods worth Rs 15,000 at gunpoint and fled.
Earlier on Saturday, a man was deprived of Rs 2.5 million in the limits of Mithadar police station while returning from a bank after withdrawing cash.
Mohammad Yousaf and his son Akbar had withdrawn Rs 3.5 million from a bank branch at I.I Chundrigar Road. They were followed by the bandits as they reached Campbell Street. Mohammad Yousaf was forced to hand over a packet containing Rs 2.5 million. The armed men also shot at Yousaf and fled. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment.
On the same day, robbers stormed into a post office at the Metropole Hotel and deprived the staff of Rs 133,000.
On Sunday three women who had come for shopping at a Sunday bazaar in Korangi No.4 were deprived of cash and gold ornaments by three armed men. Eyewitnesses said that three women were waiting for transport outside the bazaar when a car stopped and the occupants of the car deprived the women of goods and gold ornaments.
On Sunday, a cattle trader was deprived of Rs 150,000 by armed men in Bhimpura area.
Police said that Gul Hasan, 35, was passing near the Eidgah police station when two men on a motorcycle pulled up and snatched cash from Hasan. As he tried to pose resistance, they shot him in the leg and fled away.
Eyewitnesses said that the incident occurred almost in front of the Eidgah police station. Gul Hasan had come from Kandhkot.
