KARACHI, Dec 20: The Sindh Rangers, announcing the launch of a campaign against street crime in the city, claimed to have busted a gang involved in dozens of armed hold-ups and robberies.

Speaking at a press conference at the Rangers Headquarters here on Thursday, Colonel Pervez Janjua said that their FS Wing acting on a tip-off with the assistance of Mitahdar police arrested five members of a gang and recovered three motorcycles and TT pistols from their possession.

However, the Rangers personnel said that one motorcycle had been traced as stolen while the bandits claimed that the two others belonged to them.

He said that the gang was active for the past two years in the city and were involved in various criminal activities like mobile phone snatching etc. According to Colonel Janjua, the arrested men have also confessed to having robbed a house in North Nazimabad.

He said that the gang was planning to rob the houses of those people who had left for their native towns to celebrate Eid.

Asked if the Rangers were not exceeding their mandate, Colonel Janjua said that a surge in street crime in the city had prompted the Rangers to take this initiative on their own.