April 15, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 8, 1429

KARACHI, April 14: A record number of vehicles and cellular phones were taken away in different parts of the city during the last month as the incidence of carjacking and cellular phone robberies continued to grow at an alarming rate.

Figures collated by Dawn from the police and Citizens-Police Liaison Committee showed that 5,199 mobile phones, 1,490 motorcycles and 635 automobiles were taken away in March. These figures showed about a 36 per cent rise in bike robberies, an 18 per cent increase in carjacking and a nine per cent increase in cellular phone thefts.

At least 4,650 mobile phones, 1,094 motorcycles and 533 automobiles were taken away in February.

Armed hold-ups involving vehicles and cell phones alone increased by around 18 per cent as bandits deprived people of 2,487 phones, 554 motorcycles and 213 cars in 3,254 hold-ups across the city in March. In most of the cases, armed men also deprived their victims of their cash and personal belongings. There were 2,742 armed hold-ups in February during which 2,220 cellular phones, 374 motorcycles and 148 cars were taken away at gunpoint.

On average, 104 armed hold-ups involving vehicles and mobile phones were committed in parts of the city daily during the last month, while the average was 91 in February.

Saddar tops in bike thefts

During the last month, Saddar Town again stood first in the incidence of motorcycle theft as 217 motorcycles were stolen and 71 others were snatched at gunpoint. Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town remained second with 82 stolen and 38 snatched bikes, followed by New Karachi where 81 bikes were stolen and 46 others snatched. As many as 72 bikes were stolen and 48 snatched in Jamshed Town, 65 and 59 in North Nazimabad, 61 and 11 in Clifton, 61 and 39 in Liaquatabad, 49 and 42 in Gulberg, 32 and 18 in Shah Faisal, 31 and 12 in Site, 30 and 22 in Lyari, 30 and 23 in Orangi, 26 and 31 in Korangi, 24 and 24 in Landhi, 21 and nine in Malir, 17 and six in Keamari, 14 and nine in Baldia, 14 and 37 in Gadap, and nine bikes were stolen and 10 others were snatched in Bin Qasim Town.

The city experienced a sharp rise in the incidence of snatching and stealing of motorcycles during 2007 when it increased by 43 per cent. However, the menace seems to be alarming this year as 3,483 bikes have already been taken away during the first three months of the year.

680 phone thefts in Gulshan

About 167 mobile phones were robbed daily on average in different parts of the city. The total cellphone robberies during the last month stood at 5,199. Of them, 2,712 mobile sets were snatched at gunpoint.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town stood first in the cellphone thefts where 359 handsets were snatched at gunpoint and 321 others were stolen. About 271 cellphones were snatched and 351 stolen in Saddar Town, 219 and 204 in Jamshed Town, 182 and 139 in North Nazimabad, 176 and 114 in Gulberg, 165 and 128 in New Karachi, 155 and 145 in Liaquatabad, 154 and 214 in Clifton, 121 and 131 in Korangi, 110 and 117 in Shah Faisal, 105 and 98 in Site, 81 and 165 in Landhi, 66 and 88 in Gadap, 66 and 68 in Lyari, 59 and 106 in Keamari, 56 and 78 in Baldia, 55 and 75 in Malir, 46 and 86 in Orangi, and 41 cellphones were snatched and 83 were stolen in Bin Qasim.

18 per cent rise in carjacking

The figures showed that the occurrence of carjacking also increased during the month in review as a total of 636 automobiles were taken away, 213 of them at gunpoint, as compared to 533 vehicles taken away in February.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town again stood first in the incidence of car thefts as 100 cars were stolen and 41 were taken away at gunpoint. The second most volatile town was Clifton where 64 automobiles were stolen and 20 were snatched at gunpoint, followed by North Nazimabad where the incidence remained as 59 stolen and 25 snatched. Fifty-four cars were stolen and 14 were snatched in Jamshed Town, 43 and 33 in Gulberg, 33 and one in Saddar, 31 and 13 in Shah Faisal, 12 and six in Liaquatabad, seven and six in New Karachi, five and one in Malir, five and three in Site, three and four in Korangi, two and 19 in Bin Qasim, two and six in Gadap, two and one in Lyari, one and two in Baldia, one each in Keamari, and one car was stolen and four others were taken away at gunpoint in Orangi.

Different makes of Suzuki remained the most sought-after cars for the lifters who took away 365 such cars. The taken away vehicles also included 56 Toyota cars, 31 Honda cars and 28 taxis.

The bandits and thieves did not sit idle even on Eid Miladun Nabi, observed on March 21, when they took away 149 mobile phones, 31 motorcycles and 14 cars. At least 57 armed hold-ups involving vehicles and phones were committed on the holy day.