Men in “police uniforms” robbed a Turkish citizen of Rs1.1 million, 2,200 Turkish lira and other valuables on Abdullah Haroon Road in Karachi’s Saddar area on Tuesday, police said.

South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com that Tekin Metin, a mechanical engineer, was intercepted by “men in police uniforms on the pretext of checking” as he parked his car and got off the vehicle to visit a currency dealer.

A first information report (FIR), of the incident, was subsequently registered at Preedy police station under Sections 34 (common intention), 170 (impersonating a public servant), 171 (wearing the garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In his complaint, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Metin said he was visiting Karachi in his company’s car along with a driver to get his money exchanged.

As he stepped out of his car with a bag of money in Saddar, two men, in a white Corolla, called him from behind, the FIR said. “They were in official uniforms and showed me their service cards,” Metin told police, adding that they were talking in Urdu.

The complainant said the two men began to “strictly question” him and began checking his bag while they remained seated in the car. “And then they suddenly sped off.”

Metin said he could not note the number of their car, but he could identify them if they were brought before him.

He has sought legal action against the two men.

According to SSP Raza, gangs of criminals whose members impersonate policemen or intelligence personnel to loot citizens have been active in Saddar and other areas of Karachi for quite some time.