KARACHI: 19pc increase in carjackings in nine months
By Arman Sabir
KARACHI, Oct 13: A steep rise of 19.4 per cent was recorded in the incidents of snatching and theft of cars and motorcycles during the first nine months this year as compared to the corresponding span of the previous year.
At least 8,801 incidents took place across the city during the first three quarters this year, between January and September as compared to 7,094 incidents reported in 2005.
The Saddar town remained on the top, followed by Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Jamshed, Clifton, and North Nazimabad towns, according to the statistics compiled by the Anti-Car Lifting Cell in coordination with the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee.
Police said the Saddar town was the hub of most of the commercial and business activities and people from various localities entered Saddar town and parked their cars and motorcycles.
The sources said the focus of senior police officials was on avoiding registering criminal cases instead of putting a strict check on criminals.
According to the statistics, 978 incidents on an average were committed every month and 32.6 people daily on an average were deprived of either their cars or motorcycles.
The data shows that 3,574 four-wheelers and 5,227 two-wheelers were snatched or stolen in various localities during the past nine months as against 2,895 four-wheelers and 4,199 two wheelers hijacked or stolen in the corresponding period of the previous year.
A sudden rise in the incidents is being attributed to poor monitoring on exit and entry routes of the city besides lack of coordination between the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) and the district police.
Sources in the police department said the ACLC had been working as an investigation wing and its work was not to check carjacking and theft. They said poor management of the police hierarchy compelled the ACLC to put an effective check on incidents of vehicles’ snatching and theft while it was the duty of the watch and ward wing of the police.
The working strength of the ACLC was much below the sanctioned strength and it was unable to deploy police force on all 27 known exit and entry points of the city.
Sources said a superintendent of police was posted in the ACLC, who had been transferred from the post of SP Criminology and Forensic department of the Sindh police on charges of carrying a vehicle to Hyderabad which was parked there for verification of chassis and engine number. Besides, the recently posted in-charge of the ACLC did not enjoy firm standing among the ranks and files of the police department.
The posting of two senior officers of controversial integrity indicated the seriousness of police hierarchy to put a strict check on carjackings and theft incidents.
The crime pattern prepared by the CPLC shows that Suzuki was the most favorite make of criminals and their most favourite colour was white.
The maximum number of vehicles was lifted on Thursdays and Saturdays followed by Tuesdays and Wednesdays. During the past nine months, the criminals appeared to be most active in the first and final weeks of every month.
Police, however, claimed the recovery of 3,253 vehicles during the past nine months, of them 1,697 were the four wheelers and remaining 1,586 were two-wheelers.
They said the recovery percentage of cars stood at 52.16 and motorcycles at 48.75. Besides, many criminals involved in the organized crime of carjacking were arrested.
