SAHIWAL, Oct 15: Noor Shah police have smashed six criminal gangs involved in animal theft, robberies, vehicle snatching, drug trafficking and arms smuggling, the district police chief told a press conference here on Wednesday.

Police have arrested 76 absconders and seized from them 32 cattle, 14 motorcycles, two tractor-trolleys, a mini truck, 10 guns, 45 30-bore pistols, 17 revolvers, 10 rifles, 1,200 bullets, 500 litres of moonshine and 5kg Hashish, DPO Tariq Abbas told reporters at Noor Shah Police Station.

Crime was on the rise in Noor Shah police precincts, especially for the last two months. Many people are running private distilleries in the area.

“In most crimes gangs of five to six people are involved. They steal trucks, hit any outhouse of a village and take away all cattle,” the DPO said. The DPO said in the wake of this situation a police team was formed to curb the crime. The police team collected details of crimes and criminals working in the area and arrested six gangs separately led by Munir, Sardooli, Nazir, Mazhar, Shaukat and Abdul Haq. All arrested criminals are absconders and involved in 117 cases registered against them in Sahiwal, Okara and Faisalabad districts.