KARACHI: Three officials deployed for patrolling streets in the Defence Housing Authority were arrested on Friday for their involvement in a department store robbery in the Badar commercial area, police said.

Also, the loot was seized from their custody after they were identified in the footage recorded by a closed-circuit television camera, the officials added.

The department store on 26th Street in the Badar commercial area, phase V, was looted in the early hours of Thursday. The footage of the CCTV camera installed by the DHA outside the store showed a suspect in civilian dress breaking open the store lock, said Clifton SP Fida Hussain. He added that the suspect then tried to break the vault but he had to move the locker outside the store in an attempt to open it. In the meantime, a patrol van arrived at the store and instead of arresting the robber the policemen were seen helping him to shift the safe to the police van, said the senior officer.

“The policemen did not bring the loot to the police station nor did they arrest the suspect, indicating their possible involvement in the theft case,” said the SP.

The robbery reported to the police by store manager Rafiq Memon was investigated during which the footage was examined. The three policemen were identified as sub-inspector Hamza Khan, head constable Mazhar and constable Mohammed Ilyas. The police also recovered the stolen mobile phone cards worth Rs90,000 and Rs250,000 cash from their custody, said SP Hussain, adding that they were being interrogated to arrest their accomplice.

According to the officer, disciplinary action involving dismissal from service would be taken against them instead of pursuing criminal proceedings against them. “A show-cause notice has already been served on the policemen,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2014