KARACHI: Police on Friday claimed to have arrested two men for their alleged involvement in the Rs15 million van robbery, recovered a significant amount of cash and the weapon used in the murder of a guard.

Speaking at a press conference at the capital police office, Additional Inspector General of Police Ghulam Qadir Thebo said that a special police team arrested the two suspects identified as Riaz and Gul Fayaz while acting on information provided by the cash van driver, Rafiullah. Search for the other suspected robbers, Abid and Saleem alias Fauji, was still on, he added.

Accompanied by CIA DIG Sultan Khwaja and City SSP Sheeraz Nazeer during the press conference, the city police chief said four robbers had looted Rs15.65 million, while the police recovered Rs12.32 million from the detained suspects. The remaining Rs3.3 million was still missing, he added.

The police also claimed to have seized the pistol used in the murder of the security guard, Noor Khan, from the custody of the detained men.

“It was the city’s biggest robbery this year,” said Mr Thebo.

He said the suspects had also allegedly looted Rs15 million from a cash van in Korangi in September 2011 after killing two guards during an exchange of fire.

The police chief said the driver was an accomplice of the robbers.

Meanwhile, IG police Ghulam Hyder Jamali announced Rs1m for the police team for arresting the suspects. Besides, the security company whose cash van was robbed promised to give Rs0.3m to the team.

In reply to a question, Mr Thebo said the police would write a letter to security companies to properly check record of candidates before hiring them.

CIA DIG Sultan Khwaja said FIA had arrested Waseem alias Beater, who was wanted in several criminal cases and whose red warrant for arrest had been issued some time back.

Waseem Beater’s name came to surface during the Supreme Court hearing of city’s law and order case when two senior police officers informed the apex court that he influenced even transfer and posting of police officers.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2014