ISLAMABAD: The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the capital police arrested five men allegedly involved in robbing foreign-return people after impersonating themselves as police and customs officials, the police said on Saturday.

There have been incidents in which culprits deprived expatriates of cash and valuables on the pretext of security checking. The culprits intercepted the people at deserted places on their way to their destinations from the airport and introduced themselves as officials of the police and the customs department.

They used forged official registration plates on their vehicles along with dummy wireless sets, and police revolving lights. On the pretext of checking, they snatched cash and valuables from the people, said the police.

The SIU was tasked with investigating the cases which arrested three persons on the charge of their involvement in the crime. During the interrogation, the accused disclosed the identification of their two accomplices which were later also arrested.

The police said during the preliminary investigation, the accused confessed to snatching foreign currency from Aashiq Hussain returning from Dubai near the PSO petrol pump on Islamabad Highway at Loi Bher. Similarly, they admitted to robbing Sudhair Ali in the Secretariat police area, Sultan Sikendar Haideri and Qurban and Munshi Khan in Sihala and Khalilur Rehman in Koral.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2016