RAWALPINDI, Feb 15: Five robbers deprived a family of gold ornaments and prize bonds valuing Rs1.8 million, while another family lost Rs1.25 million worth jewellery and cash to two gunmen in Westridge on Wednesday, the victims and police said.

In the first incident, Munir Bhatti, deputy station manager at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, residing in Airport Housing Society said five persons forced their way into his house and held his family hostage. Three of the robbers started searching the ground floor while their accomplices went upstairs and searched the rooms.

They remained in the house for more than 35 minutes and escaped with the loot only after one of the hostages managed to slip out of the house and started shouting which caught the attention of people in the surroundings.

One of the female victims, without giving her name, said: “One of the robbers claimed that he was from police while his accomplices were threatening us by repeatedly loading their pistols.”

She said: “The imposter was behaving as if he was a real cop.” Munir Bhatti listed the looted items as 15 gold bangles, four gold rings, four gold earrings, one wrist watch and Rs200,000 in cash. The total value of the looted goods was estimated around Rs1.8 million. Khurram, the son-in-law of the complainant told Dawn.

In the second incident, the house was looted by two gunmen in Westridge area in broad daylight on Wednesday.

Waqas Malik said two men entered the house at around 2:30pm and held the inmates hostage.

“Nobody was hurt because none of them offered resistance. The robbers escaped with jewellery worth Rs1 million, Rs250,000 cash and five cellphones,” Waqas Malik said.