KARACHI, Feb 19: At least 18 vehicles and 45 cellular phones were taken away in different parts of the city on polling day on Monday.

In 22 armed hold-ups, the bandits snatched one car, two motorcycles and 21 mobile handsets, and thieves took away four cars, 12 bikes and 24 phones.

Naveed Afzal, an employee of a TV channel, was deprived of his Alto (AMM-306) near Gharibabad on Monday evening by four bikers.

“I was on my way from my Site office to Gulshan-i-Iqbal residence when four men snatched my cell phone and car at around 7.45pm,” he said.

The victim told Dawn that the four men who intercepted him near the Gharibabad underpass were on two bikes. “One of the pillion riders got off the bike and he quickly got into my car and the others asked me to leave my cell phone and car to them,” he added.

Naveed Afzal said he became extremely nervous when he was intercepted, though the bandits did not show their weapons.

Thieves took away a brand-new Hi-roof in Defence. Mohammed Irfan, owner of a general store, told Dawn that he had parked his vehicle in front of his house on Street No 10, main Commercial Badar, at around 11pm. “I came out after an hour only to find no car outside,” he added.

A Cultus was also stolen near Mukka Chowk in Azizbad within the limits of the Jauharabad police.

Car owner Mohammed Naeem told Dawn that he had parked his car outside his house at around 4am. “We woke up to know that our car had been stolen,” he said.

Besides, a yellow cab (PL-9531) was stolen in Yousuf Plaza and a Potohar jeep in Jauharabad.