SIALKOT, Dec 14: The district witnessed a surge in crime on Sunday with outlaws in various urban and rural areas depriving people of cash and valuables, all worth over Rs1.5million rupees.

According to reports, a gang of eight unidentified armed dacoits stormed the rice mills of Tariq Hussain at Kot Mokhal village, Daska tehsil. They took the guards and the owner hostage at gunpoint, thrashed them when they offered resistance and tied them up with a rope.

The outlaws loaded as many as 200 bags of fine quality paddy worth a million rupees on a truck (LES-9594) and fled away.

On the owner’s report, Satrah police have registered a case against six nominated accused, Kamran, Waqas, Tanveer, Pervaiz, Shafiq, Abdul Ghafar and their two unknown accomplices with no arrest or recovery so far.

In another incident, two unidentified armed robbers snatched a motorcycle (STR-5253), a mobile phone and Rs10,000 from Ziarat Hussain of Daallowali village near Daakwala village, Motra, on main Daska-Motra-Sialkot road. Police have registered a case.

At Sabzpeer village, Pasrur, a gang of seven unidentified armed dacoits barged in the house of a landlord, Muhammad Aslam, and took the family members hostages.

The outlaws manhandled women on offering resistance. They took away gold ornaments, cash and electronic appliances worth Rs0.6 million. Police have registered a case with no arrests.

At Othiyaan village, Daska, thieves took away a motorcycle (GAM-4526) of a trader, Abdul Ghaffar of Tarska village. Bambaanwala police have registered a case.

Two dacoits snatched a motorcycle, a mobile phone and Rs7,500 at gunpoint form Muhammad Razzaq near BRB Canal, Daska. Police are investigating.

Some senior police officials requesting anonymity said that as the force remained busy in performing special security duties on Eid-ul-Azha, the crime graph went up in the district.