RAHIM YAR KHAN: Police of two neighbouring districts -- Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur -- are still making strategies to eliminate gangs of dacoits in the katcha area (riverbed) of the Indus river.

The district police officers are making joint efforts to tackle the Lund, Janu Indhar, Shar, Lathani, Bakhrani, Sikhani, Dolani, Pat Imrani, Dashti and Bannu gangs which are notorious for kidnap for ransom in the katcha area.

The kidnap for ransom incidents have increased in the last seven months and the victims, in some cases, have returned home after paying large amounts to these gangs. PTV news journalist Sher Muhammad Sahi paid Rs3 million to secure his release.

Three DPOs of Rahim Yar Khan were transferred during the last one year but none of them could counter the criminal activities of the gangs. A political figure from Nawazabad area of Sadiqabad tehsil is on the hit list of Indhar gang for supporting the family of nine people who were gunned down by the gang at Chowk Mahi in October 2021.

According to the residents, the dacoits have hideouts in islands in the Indus. They have the latest weapons including rocket launchers and ant-aircraft guns. A few years ago when kidnap for ransom was at its peak by notorious Chhottu gang, operations by police of Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur and Ghotki of Sindh proved insufficient and at last, an army operation was conducted after which the gangsters surrendered.

RYK DPO Akhtar Farooq’s spokesperson Saif Ali Wains claimed that the criminal activities of dacoits in the katcha area had been reduced due to better strategy of police. He said police had established 42 pickets at the entry and exit points and 800 police employees were performing duties in rotation.

He said 38 elite teams on their vehicles patrolled the area. Police were also adopting secret vigilance at these pickets and with the good coordination of the Rajanpur and Sindh police, meetings were in progress to defeat the criminals.

During the crackdown of the RYK police and after an exchange of fire, seven kidnapped people were rescued and 130 facilitators arrested, Wains said.

He said DPO Akhtar Farooq and SP Investigation Dost Muhammad regularly visited the pickets in the katcha area. He said a grand operation was on the cards.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022