KARACHI, Feb 6: A man was killed and two of his companions arrested on Tuesday by a team of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC).

The SSP ACLC, Abdul Khaliq Shaikh told a press conference a raiding party was formed after a tip-off that members of a car thieves gang were about to take stolen vehicles out of the city.

He said the police party spotted members of the gang in two vehicles and chased them. The suspects opened fire on the police near the Bhains Colony turning which is in the jurisidiction of Shah Latif Town police.

The police also returned the fire and one of the cars’ occupants, identified as Mohammed Akram, was killed instantly.

“The police arrested Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Nawaz”, he added.

The ACLC chief said a Suzuki Alto (AKV-893) and Shezore truck (KN-8219), which were snatched on Monday from Taimuria and Sir Syed Town respectively, were seized from the suspects. He said the ACLC team also seized three TT pistols from the suspects.

The SSP said the gang was involved in several car snatching incidents. “The members of the gang used to get into cars at gunpoint that had stopped at traffic signals and deprive the owners of their cars after travelling a little distance”, he added. He said the gang was involved in disposing off the stolen vehicles in Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur.

To a question he said the area police had not been informed before the ACLC team acted on the tip-off. “We did not have enough time to inform the area police and acted promptly on the information.”

The body of the suspected car lifter was shifted to Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre for autopsy. The hospital officials said the suspect had received two bullets in his upper torso. They said the man might have been shot from close range as both bullets had pierced through his body.

BODY FOUND: The body of a 25-year-old man, who was strangled was found at a desolate place near Hazratabad in the jurisdiction of Manghopir police. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsy and later kept at Edhi morgue for dentification.