MUZAFFARABAD: A former inspector of the Punjab police was among a gang of five robbers who were arrested by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police in connection with a major robbery in Mirpur last month, according to Mirpur SSP Raja Irfan Saleem.

The SSP told Dawn on Wednesday that the gang had conducted a robbery at Fair Deal Currency Exchange in the heart of Mirpur on April 20, had held the staff at gunpoint and walked away with Rs9.163 million in cash.

After working on the case for ten days, the police secured the arrests of the robbers, the SSP said and identified the accused as Mohammad Naseer Jatt, Mohammad Nawaz Gondal from Sheikhupura, Mohammad Hanif Jatt from Lahore, Shehbaz Ahmed from Jaranwala and Kamran Wazir from Tank.

The leader of the gang, Naseer, has served as an inspector in the Punjab police and was dismissed from service for corrupt practices, the SSP said.

When the men were arrested, Rs6 million in Pakistani currency, £1,370, 1,000 Euros, cheques worth Rs900,000, a gold chain and two 30-bore pistols that were used in the robbery were also recovered by the police from their possession, the SSP said and that the remaining amount will also be recovered soon.

During investigations, the accused confessed to have committed an armed robbery at the residence of a Dr Rizwan Bostan in Mirpur’s sector B-5 in 2012 and said they made away with more than Rs400,000 in cash and also a number of expensive electronic gadgets.

They also confessed to have committed five robberies at different places in Punjab, the SSP said.

After commissioning a robbery, the ring leader Naseer would put on the uniform of the Punjab police so they could pass police pickets without any problems, the police official added.

Even after last month’s robbery in Mirpur at a moneychanger’s shop, they drove through Mangla check post with Naseer in uniform, he said.

The robbery in Mirpur last month was the biggest recently and had happened due to the irresponsibility of the moneychanger’s private guard, who had left his gun in a vehicle when the robbers struck, the SSP explained.

AJK is a peaceful region, and those responsible for most of the bigger crimes were eventually found to be from other areas, the official said.

“I want to make it clear to all that the AJK police are vigilant and we are determined to eliminate crime and will not let criminals get away without repercussions,” the SSP vowed.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2016