KARACHI: The police counterterrorism department on Friday claimed to have killed three suspects belonged to an Afghans’ gang allegedly involved in killings, robberies and gang-rape cases in an ‘encounter’, while in another ‘encounter’ two gangsters were also killed.

Acting on a tip-off provided by an intelligence agency, the police conducted a targeted raid in Mehran Town in Korangi, where an encounter ensued in which three suspects were killed.

The suspects were identified as Mohammed Umer, Alam Khan and Lazrus, alias Ranjha, alias Nazar while the fourth one identified as Shamoon, alias Suraj, escaped in wounded condition.

“These suspects belonged to a gang led by Afghans living illegally here,” said additional inspector general of the CTD Dr Sanaullah Abbasi.

“The gang comprises 11 members who are mercenaries and rapists of teenage girls.”

A 30-bore pistol seized from their possession was sent to the police forensic laboratory, which revealed that this weapon had been used in four murders in Korangi over the past one year.

Besides, this gang had allegedly shot at and wounded Anti Car Lifting Cell Inspector Mumtaz in Korangi. Furthermore, they were involved in house robberies.

“During the house robberies, they were involved in 12 gang-rape cases,” said the CTD AIG.

They committed at least 27 house robberies and looted around Rs20 million.

This gang was also involved in over 200 street crime cases in which they had snatched mobile phones, cash, motorbikes and jewellery from women.

Another police officer of the CTD SSP Junaid Ahmed Shaikh said that during a house robbery, they allegedly gang-raped a nine-year-old girl and threw her into the water tank where she died.

He said they had targeted ACLC inspector Mumtaz Shah on April 20 and threw him outside his home in Korangi in wounded condition assuming that he had died from the bullet wounds, but he survived and his condition was improving. He was targeted because he had helped the law enforcers arrest that gang’s members, the police officer added.

SSP Shaikh said that ‘some policemen’ of Korangi had also worked as ‘facilitators’ of the gang and added that action would be taken against them.

He said they had also traced the jeweller who used to buy looted gold from the gang and hinted that action would also be taken against him.

The officer claimed that these gang members also worked as hitmen for banned outfits.

Two ‘gangsters’ killed

The police on Friday claimed to have killed two alleged gangsters in an ‘encounter’ in Pak Colony.

A police party indicated four suspects on two motorcycles to stop near the Mewashah graveyard in Jehanabad in the early hours of Friday morning.

Instead of stopping, they opened fire on the police, who returned fire and gunned down two suspects while the other two escaped taking advantage of darkness.

Later, the deceased were identified as Ahsan Ali and Shahzeb, the police said.

“They belonged to the Faisal Pathan-led gang and were involved in killings, robberies and other crimes,” said Pak Colony SHO Musarrat Nawaz.

He said two hand grenades and a pistol were seized from their possession.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2016