KARAHCI, March 28: The chief of the Anti-car Lifting Cell said on Wednesday that a decline was recorded in vehicle snatching and theft incidents this year as compared to last year.

SP Khaliq Shaikh told a press conference that around 12 cars were taken away in Karachi and half of them recovered. “A significant fall in vehicle related crimes has been witnessed against the period of 1996-97”, he added.He said an inter-provincial gang of nine car lifters was busted by the ACLC staff who also seized 11 vehicles from them.

The ACLC chief said the suspects were arrested in two raids on tip-offs. “The first raid was made in the morning in the Civil Hospital parking area in which Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Salah, Ghulam Sarwar and Akhtar Hussain were arrested with a Cuore (AJH-140) car,”he added.

He said two of their accomplices, Muhammad Shah and Wazir Husssain, were later arrested in Ranchore Line on a lead given by the arrested suspects. “A stolen Cultus (AHY-926) was also seized from him,” he added.

Another police party, he said, stopped a Honda City (AMF-861) with four persons at the National Highway Sassi Toll Plaza and found that an FIR was registered for the vehicle theft in Taimuria PS. “The police arrested Shah Nawaz while the other three fled,” he said.

The SP said later another Honda City (ALH-483) was seized with the help of the Thatta police on the lead given by Shah Nawaz. “The other cars recovered on his lead are Alto (AKR-752), Cultus (RIY-8193), Khyber (ABV-572) and Mehran (ACL-230).

The ACLC chief said the same police party arrested other members of the gang including Imran and Kamran in Sher Shah and seized a Khyber (ABD-460).