ISLAMABAD: A gang of robbers looted cash and valuables worth over Rs7 million from the house of a retired army officer here on Friday, the police said.

The robbers entered the house of retired Brig Imtiaz in F-10/1 at 1am after cutting the grill. They first took the army officer’s daughter-in-law at gunpoint and then woke up all the inmates of the house and gathered them in a room.

After holding all (inmates) of them at gunpoint, they searched each room of the house and collected cash, including $7,700, 1,300 dirham, 1,000 Australian dollars, 680 Canadian dollars 648 pounds, bonds worth Rs3milioon, gold ornaments worth Rs1.6million and other valuables and managed to escape.

The police came at the crime scene at around 7am and collected evidence, including fingerprints. The police also recorded statements of the victims.

Police said the watchman of the house was sleeping at the time of the incident and when the robbers were escaping. According to the police the retired army officer owned an eye clinic in Rawalpindi.

The fingerprints taken from the crime scene were sent to Nadra for identification of the culprits and the report is likely to be received by Monday, the police said.

In another incident, some burglars broke into the house of Shabir Ahmed in G-9/2 and made off with cash, gold ornaments, bonds worth Rs162,000.

Meanwhile, a Suzuki Fx of Mohammad Akram was stolen from outside of his residence in I-9/4. Likewise, a Honda 125 of Mohamamd Tamour Saddiq was stolen from Rose and Jasmine Garden.

Over the robbery incident Station House Officer of Shalimar Police Station Inspector Qasim Niazi was removed from the post and later Inspector Khalid Awan was appointed as the in-charge of the police station.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Islamabad police has arrested a burglar wanted in a number of burglaries, and recovered over Rs7 million from him, police said on Friday.

He has a criminal record as he has been arrested several times before, sources said.

The sources said he had confessed to his involvement in various burglaries in Karachi Company and Ramna police areas, including a robbery in Sector G-9/3 in which he took away prize bonds worth Rs15 million from the house of Basharat Ahmed.

The police recovered cash and prize bonds worth Rs7.5 million from him.

His father and brothers also hold criminal records but they fled to South Punjab with valuables worth millions of rupees. A police team has been sent to arrest them.

In addition, the Islamabad police also arrested 11 suspects and have recovered counterfeit currency, narcotics, weapons and valuables from their possession.

Published in Dawn September 12th, 2015

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