KARACHI, Jan 31: The year 2007, has started on a sour note for citizens. Armed robberies and theft of vehicles and cell phones continue without any hinderance. More than 4,203 cellular phones and 934 vehicles – 369 automobiles and 565 motorbikes – and 4,203 cellphones were taken away in the city during January.

The incidence of snatching and theft saw an increase in the second half of the month as 1,800 cell phones and 365 vehicles were taken away from different areas of the city during the first fortnight.

The figures collated by Dawn from the police and Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) show 1,760 mobile phones were snatched at gunpoint by unknown bandits and 2,443 stolen in the 18 towns of the city during January.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town emerged as the haven for mobile phone snatchers and thieves, where 252 phones were snatched at gunpoint and 299 stolen.

In Saddar Town 202 phones were snatched at gunpoint and 335 stolen.

Bandits snatched 152 mobile phones at gunpoint in Jamshed Town. Another 195 were taken away by thieves. As many as 136 phones were snatched and 116 stolen in North Nazimabad Town. Criminals took 117 phones at gunpoint in Liaquatabad Town, while111 phones were stolen.

Hoodlums snatched 105 cellular phones in Lyari Town at gunpoint, 100 in Shah Faisal Town, 99 in New Karachi Town, 98 each in Clifton and Gulberg Towns, 76 in Korangi Town, 57 in Gadap Town, 54 in Site Town, 47 in Orangi Town, 46 in Malir Town, 39 in Landhi Town, 33 in Keamari Town, 27 in Baldia Town and 22 in Bin Qasim Town.

Thieves took away 184 mobile phones in Clifton Town, 132 in Landhi Town, 127 each in Gulberg Town and Shah Faisal Town, 126 in Korangi Town, 125 in North Nazimabad Town, 116 in New Krachi Town, 111 in Liaquatabad Town, 85 in Site Town, 80 in Orangi Town, 76 in Keamari Town, 74 in Malir Town, 65 in Gadap Town, 61 in Bin Qasim Town and 50 in Baldia Town.

January 15 was a field day for mobile phone snatchers who deprived people at gunpoint of 95 phones.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town again topped in car thefts as 27 vehicles were hijacked and 51 others were stolen in different parts of the town.

Twenty cars were snatched at gunpoint in Gulberg, 12 in North Nazimabad, nine in Clifton Town, six each in Saddar Town, Shah Faisal Town and Site Town, five each in Jamshed Town and New Karachi Town, four in Korangi Town, three each in Landhi Town and Liyari Town, two each in Bin Qasim Gadap, Keamari and Malir Towns, and one each in Liaquatabad and Orangi Towns.

Car thieves took away 38 automobiles in Clifton Town, 34 in Jamshed Town, 26 in Gulberg Town, 25 in North Nazimabad Town, 19 each in Saddar and Shah Faisal Towns, six in Liaquatabad Town, five each in Bin Qasim and Keamari Towns, two each in Gadap, Landhi, Malir, Site and New Karachi Towns, and one each in Baldia, Korangi, Lyari and Orangi Towns.

Twenty four motorcycles were snatched and 16 stolen in North Nazimabad Town, 22 snatched and 36 stolen in Jamshed Town, 21 snatched and 89 stolen in Saddar Town, 20 and 36 in New Karachi Town, 16 and 36 in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town, 14 and 13 in Gulberg Town, 12 and 10 in Korangi Town, 11 and 14 in Shah Faisal Town, 10 and five in Gadap Town, nine and 11 in Malir Town, eight and 15 in Liaquatabad Town, eight and 11 in Site Town, seven and six in Bin Qasim Town, six and 11 in Landhi Town, six and nine in Orangi Town, three and 21 in Clifton Town, three and 14 in Liari Town, and five motorcycles were stolen in Baldia Town.