KARACHI, Sept 15: Seven people fell prey every hour to robbers and thugs in Karachi in the last two months (July and August) as the statistics put the number of total robbery incidents during the period at 10,320.
On an average, 5,160 incidents of robberies were reported in each of the months whereas the per day average stood at 172.
“In a sizable number of house robberies, rape was committed but this aspect largely went unreported obviously to avoid bringing more miseries to the victim and her family,” a senior officer in the police investigation wing told Dawn requesting anonymity.
“This seems to be one of the reasons why these armed hold-ups are ending-up in violent deaths,” the officer remarked, adding: “I personally request victims to report their ordeal but they don’t because of their serious inhibitions and fear of more humiliation.”
An analysis of the crime figures of the last two months showed that a total of 10,320 acts of armed hold-up of various nature, including house/shop burglaries, vehicle snatchings and cellphones snatchings.
The figures showed that as many as 8,492 people lost their cellphones to bandits in the streets of Karachi and at least 1,828 incidents of bigger robberies were committed during the last two months.
According to the official statistics, 6,559 cellphones were either snatched, stolen or reported missing during the month of July. A break up of this figure shows 1,496 cellphone sets were snatched, 2,778 were stolen and 433 reported missing.
In August, 4,037 cellphones were taken away – 1,432 snatched by bandits 2,250 stolen – whereas 349 sets were reported missing.
In July, 885 incidents of armed hold-ups were reported. A break-up of this figures shows that 13 of the incidents were house robberies whereas the 15 other such incidents were logged under the head of ‘other dacoity’. One bank robbery and one petrol pump dacoity were included in the July data.
The data of August showed two bank dacoities no petrol pump hold-up.
Similarly, 61 house robberies and 12 shop robberies, besides 169 ‘other robberies’ were recorded by police in the month of July whereas the figures of August put the numbers at 82, 34 and 182, respectively.
The statistics showed 103 burglaries, 105 incidents of car theft and 50 incidents of car-snatching reported during the month of July. A total of 110 motorcycles were stolen and another 155 snatched. There were 69 other vehicles snatched or stolen. In August, 104 incidents of burglary were reported. A total of 105 cars were stolen and another 48 snatched at gunpoint. Besides, 120 motorcycles were reported stolen and 163 snatched. The number of other vehicles stolen or snatched stood at 34.
There were only two cycles reported stolen during the two months, the figures showed.
