PESHAWAR, July 31: Following threats from the Taliban and the ongoing military operation in Swat, police in the provincial capital beefed up security and established at least 20 checkpoints, 8 of them in city areas, to check entry of suicide bombers.

“The police have fully concentrated on checking vehicles especially at the entry points.

Earlier they avoided checking the vehicles with women on board, but now all the vehicles are being checked even if the lady police are not available on the occasion,” SP Cantonment Circle Abdul Qadir Qamar said during a press conference at the Police Lines here on Thursday.

He said that if the vehicles were not thoroughly checked expected suicide bombers could take benefit of the presence of women.

The checkpoints would continue scrutiny from 8am till evening, and each point would have nine police personnel equipped with bullet-proof jackets, teargas guns, armoured personal carriers, metallic detectors, light and heavy weapons.

SP Qamar said professional criminals in the guise of the Taliban were exploiting the situation, they had started kidnapping of people for ransom. Therefore the police had constituted a special cell to control crimes, he added.

He disclosed that the police high-ups and political administration in a recent meeting had agreed to jointly launch a comprehensive operation against kidnaper gangs within a couple of days both in the settled and tribal areas.

The SP said release of a kidnapped trader Abdur Rehman was made possible as a result of the understanding among officials of police and political administration to root out criminals.

About the rising kidnapping incidents, he said they had taken shape of a business and the areas of Bala Mani, Hazarkhwani and Kohat Road had some pockets for the kidnappers.

He said some groups were kidnapping people and then selling them to other ‘established’ groups working in Skhakot Malakand (protect area), Khyber Agency or elsewhere.

The police were clueless about the kidnapping of one Shakir Ishaq. The police required standard equipment and machinery which could help in detection of criminals in undisclosed locations, he added.

A data collection drive had been launched from Hayatabad Township and University Town in order to check suspected dwellers, particularly in rented houses, the SP said.

The property dealers were playing main role in provision of houses to suspected people and they had been asked to weekly submit reports to the local police about new tenants.

The SP claimed that as a result of the newly established checkpoints, a suspected woman drug smuggler Ms Yasmin and a man Amir Amin were arrested and 400 kilogram hashish was recovered from their possession. They were coming in a car from Bara, Khyber Agency. The police impounded the vehicle at a checkpoint in limits of Sarband police station.

Abdul Rehman Abid from Buner adds: The district administration on Thursday beefed up security to avert any eventuality due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the volatile Swat district.

The local authorities deployed forces at Shaheeda Sar in Chaghorzai, Kalil Kandow in Gadezai and Hindu Kandow in Gokand. Security forces at Kingargali and Sar Malang Baba were also put on red alert, officials said.