LAHORE: Police carried out a search operation in nine seminaries of different schools of thought in the provincial capital and took 14 students in custody for interrogation.

The arrests were made from Jamia Masjid Fatima and Muhammadi Masjid in Nawab Town (Chuhng police circle), ASP Irfan Samoon told Dawn.

Earlier, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Amin Wains said police teams checked particulars of 1,100 students.

In a statement, he said the details of the students were checked in Madressah Qasar-i-Farooq-i-Azam, Shahdara, Madressah Urwa Tulwaska, Kot Lakhpat, Madressah Jamia Muhammadia, Chauburji, Madressah-i-Farooq Azam, South Cantt, Madressah Hanfia, Ghaziabad, Madressah Minhajul Hasnain, Johar Town and Hostel Madressah Almustafa, Muslim Town. He said madressahs’ management was issued advisory letters besides instructions that no student should be registered without complete particulars.

The CCPO said that during first seven months of current year, Lahore police, under the National Action Plan (NAP), conducted search operations at more than 150,000 houses, 2,500 hotels and inns, 4,000 shops and other places, including 80 seminaries.

Mr Wains further said more than 4,000 cases had been registered for violation of loudspeaker act, publication and distribution of sectarian material, wall chalking and provocative speeches. Similarly, more than 500 cases were registered for display of fire arms and aerial firing. He said police checked identification documents of 350,000 people, including 7,000 tenants, and apprehended more than 6,000 suspects.

gang busted: Police on Sunday claimed to have arrested 20 members of a gang of dacoits involved in a number of cases of robberies and dacoities, and recovered looted items, including cash, gold jewellery and other valuables, worth over Rs3 million as well as illegal weapons from their possession.

According to a news release, Crimes Investigation Agency Superintendent of Police Umar Virk in light of information and sources, conducted raids and arrested ringleader of Shah Rukh dacoit gang Shah Rukh alias Babu and 20 others, including Nazir alias Gera, Shahid, Ghafoor alias Ghafoori, Javaid alias Jaidia, Ghulam Nabi alias Baga, Mubeen Azeem, Asim alias Ama, Faisal alias Mano, Waseem Ishfaq, Nadeem Ishfaq, Najeebullah, Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Aamir, Kashif Ali, Zeeshan Ali, Waqar Ashraf, Awais alias Jaju, Aamir Raza Khan, Muhammad Imran Yasin alias Gana.

Looted items worth over Rs3.5 million, including cash, gold jewellery, motorcycles, mobile phones and other valuables, besides illegal weapons were recovered from the arrested.

During interrogation, the alleged criminals confessed to 97 dacoities, and injuring Dr Anas Khalil, a professor of University of Lahore; Shaukat Jan Masih and a Chinese citizen.

The ringleader of the gang and his accomplices were allegedly proclaimed offenders in various cases.

Capital City Police Officer Amin Wains announced cash prizes and commendatory certificates for the police team that arrested the suspects.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2015

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