KARACHI: Armed robbers shot dead a private security guard when he resisted their bid to loot a cash van in Federal B. Industrial Area on Monday evening, police said.

They added that the cash van of a money exchange service was heading to a shopping mall from its outlet in Gulshan-i-Iqbal to collect cash.

Area SHO Sajid Javed told Dawn that it was not an armoured van and the cash was carried in a Suzuki Hi-roof.

He said four helmet-wearing men on two motorbikes intercepted the van before the shopping mall and opened indiscriminate firing as soon as they saw the security guard.

The guard, identified as Khalid, suffered bullet wounds and died on the spot.

The robbers rode away without looting cash.

Karachi West Zone DIG Amir Farooqi told Dawn that five spent bullet casings of 9mm pistols and six spent bullet casings of .30-bore were found at the crime scene.

“The 9mm pistol is not used in robberies normally,” opined the DIG.

He said it appeared that the suspects were following the vehicle, but perhaps they were unaware that the security guard was present inside.

“They opened indiscriminate fire soon after seeing the guard opening the door,” the DIG said.

The police were trying to collect the CCTV footage.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2018