MULTAN, Dec 29: Dacoits took away rifles, mobile phones and cash from Jandeli post of Mian Channu Saddar police station in Khanewal district in wee hours of Wednesday.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Arif Ikram said about 10 dacoits came to the post at 2am. They tied five policemen with ropes while in-charge sub-inspector Hamid and two staffers were on patrol duty.

He said the dacoits thrashed the staff and detained them at a room.

He said the dacoits made off with two rifles, four mobile phones and about Rs10,000 cash.

He said police staff made a call to the in-charge by a cell phone which the dacoits could not take away.

He said teams had been constituted to arrest the dacoits. He said the incident could be a result of revenge.

The RPO said he had suspended all the staff of the police post. “We have registered a case against them and arrested them.”

The police staff have been identified as ASI Riaz Ahmed Kamboh, head constable Ashiq Husain, constables Wasim Ahmed, Farooq Ahmed and an unidentified volunteer (razakar).

Taking note of the incident, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif the Multan RPO officer on special duty due to “his poor performance”, says a handout. The chief minister has also directed Police Punjab IG to immediately apprehend the dacoits.