ISLAMABAD: Efforts are underway to get robbers along with their families blacklisted so a proper vigilance could be mounted on them.

This was stated by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Waqaruddin Syed in reply to a question at a news conference on Friday.

“Yes dacoits and robbers, especially Afghan nationals, are living luxurious lives in their native towns and have purchased properties in different areas of KP, including Mardan and Nowshera,” the SSP said. But they would be blacklisted along with their families.

The step will help police monitor their activities, SSP says

This will help the police monitor their activities, the SSP added.

He rejected the impression that motorcyclists, especially students, were being victimised by the police by confiscating and impounding their vehicles on the pretext of curbing crime.

The SSP said most of the criminal activities, including robberies, were committed by criminals using motorcycles and the bikes were impounded on suspicion and released after verification.

The step is taken to check and verify the vehicles and clear doubts, not to cause inconvenience to the motorcyclists, he added.

A campaign against the use of police light and tinted glasses on vehicles has also been launched. Only official and authorised vehicles are allowed to use such lights and tinted glasses.

Action will be taken against all officers, including those from the police department, if they are found using the police lights and tinted glasses without authorisation, he added.

“We are not registering cases against the users but removing the lights and coloured glasses from their vehicles and issuing them warning.”

The SSP told the media persons that the Islamabad Industrial Area Zone police busted a five-member gang of robbers allegedly involved in more than 30 cases, murder of a trader and firing on the Eagle Squad of the police.

Teams consisting of DSP Fida Hussain Satti, SHO Sabzi Mandi Tariq Rauf, ASIs Mohammad Ramzan, Zulfiqar and others busted the gang, he added. The police also recovered four bikes, four pistols, 100 rounds, one dagger and five mobile phones from their possession.

During the preliminary investigation, the suspects confessed to murdering Ahmed Bux during robbery when he was returning from Sabzi Mandi along with cash. They also admitted opening fire on the Eagle Squad personnel.

The arrested men confessed to their involvement in more than 30 robbery cases in Rawalpindi and adjacent areas, said the SSP.

They also carried out criminal activities in Tarnol and Golra.

Two of their accomplices are still at large and efforts are in progress to arrest them, he added.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2019