March 08, 2008	Saturday	Safar 29, 1429

KARACHI, March 7: As the city witnesses a renewed trend of robberies, mainly in banks, police authorities and private security agencies are holding each other responsible for the crimes, while investigators have pinpointed a single group behind the recent heists.

Senior police officials and representatives of the private security companies have yet to reach any point of agreement after a series of meetings, which could have led to coordinated efforts to curb the robberies and a proper investigation.

Talking to Dawn, officials from both sides sounded concerned about the fresh robberies, which have cost millions of rupees and several human lives, but felt each others’ institutions were careless while investigating the cases.

“We only supplement the duty of the police,” said retired Colonel Nisar Khara, chairman of the All Pakistan Security Agencies Association. “We can’t take over their (police) responsibilities. Actually, the problem is that the difference of duties between the security companies and police has not been defined yet.”

Such comments came a day after four armed men looted Rs8 million meant for a bank in Shershah and injured a security guard. The robbers struck a day after a gang of 10 criminals walked off with Rs4.5 million from a UBL branch in Defence.

Though the current week’s robberies led to killings of security guards belonging to private companies in the line of duty, the city has witnessed countless cases in which security guards have been involved in the heists. However, the police and private security companies differ on the data compiled by the law-enforcers.

“We have registered some 16 bank robberies recently, out of which 10 were committed through the connivance of the security guards,” said Niaz Siddiqi, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO). “One cannot deny the fact that joint efforts are needed from all stakeholders to pursue the cases and address the loopholes in the system.”

Gang at work

Apart from the involvement of security guards from private companies, the investigators claim to have singled out an organized gang operating with sophisticated weapons and a strong network of communication.

“The same group has been involved in the robberies of bank branches in Defence and Ranchore Line and a jewellers shop in New Karachi,” said a senior investigator following the cases. “They are nine or maybe more in number and own modern weapons, including guns like the Uzi,” he added.

He said after the arrests of a militant gang’s members in January 2008 from Shah Latif Town in Landhi, who were allegedly involved in several bank robberies, there was only a single gang operating aggressively.

Al Qaeda-linked militant Qasim Toori, who was arrested in January, has been charged with having been involved in a Saudabad bank robbery that left three men, including a police constable, dead.

The police-compiled figures show at least 21 robberies took place in different parts of Karachi during 2007. However, the private security companies claim only four of these crimes were committed through the involvement of their guards.

“It is very simple to put the entire blame on the private agencies,” said retired Colonel Khara. “We have approached the police authorities several times to define the responsibilities, but unfortunately no serious effort has been made by any side.”

However, he agreed that the underpaid and mostly untrained guards performed an extremely sensitive duty, which resulted in financial losses as well as loss to human life.

Such a situation also gives weight to the police’s arguments: the police say the association has taken no action against companies which do not follow the set standards.

“We want a coordinated effort and have set up a special committee, which even includes a member from the private security companies. But there should be a realization that efforts are lacking on various fronts from these companies,” said the CCPO.