LAHORE: Eight more outlaws were arrested and weapons were seized from them near Katchi Lund on Tuesday–the 17th day of the police operation in the Katcha area of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts.

According to handout, police destroyed the hideouts of Imrani and Dalani gangs and seized three Kalashnikovs and hundreds of bullets from them.

According to details, the operation against the criminals in the Katcha area launched under the leadership of Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar 17 days back was being supervised by Regional Police Officer Rai Babar Saeed and District Police Officer Rizwan Umar Gondal. Three robbers have been killed and more than 28 have been arrested during the operation so far.

Police have cleared thousands of acres of land, which was considered a ‘no-go area’ and demolished dozens of secret hideouts of various gangs by setting them on fire. The criminals were kidnapping people for ransom through the honey trap and other means and they used to keep their victims in the Katcha area. These criminals were challenging the writ of the state and the rule of the law by keeping the citizens in captivity, receiving ransom from their families and collecting piles of weapons. Police established camps and deployed force in this area to reestablish the writ of the state.

The latest targeted operation by the police was conducted in Katchi Lund where the eight members of Dalani and Imrani gangs were arrested after an exchange of fire. Police reached the gangs’ hideouts through boats.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2023