KARACHI: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of police claim to have arrested a key Pakistani Taliban commander, Abu Hamza, during a raid in Karachi’s West Wharf area on Saturday.

Chief of CID’s investigation unit, Mazhar Mashwani claimed that Muhammad Adnan alias Abu Hamza had been operating for banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and was placed at number 36 in the Red Book – the list of wanted suspects.

According to a report published on BBC’s Urdu website, the CID police claim to have recovered two hand grenades, handguns and bullets from his possession also.

Chaudhry Muhammad Arif, an officer of CID’s investigation unit told BBC that Abu Hamza was also arrested in 2007 for holding illegal weapons.

“He, however, had moved to Lahore during his trial and got recruited in (government’s) Awqaf department (ministry),” said Arif. Later, upon his transfer back in Karachi, he (Abu Hamza) manipulated the court in dismissing the case he was facing, he added.

The CID officer further said the suspect had also worked for al Qaeda’s Takfiri group before joining the TTP.

He claimed in order to carry out terrorist attacks, the suspect had been shadowing residences of Pakistan Army’s corps commander in Karachi’s Bath Island, daughter of former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and offices of Intelligence Bureau (IB).

An investigative officer of the case said after the initial interrogation, Abu Hamza’s involvement has been revealed in murders of two policemen at a shootout in Suhrab Goth and an armed attack on Rangers’ mobile near Safura Chowrangi that killed two soldiers.

The CID police have taken a physical remand of the suspect from an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) till December 21.