KARACHI: Police have arrested an official of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and four others in a case pertaining to looting a van carrying cooking oil and kidnapping a person in police mobile.

The police also claimed to have recovered the looted oil and ghee from their possession.

SSP-Central Maroof Usman confirmed that Inspector Zafar Iqbal, said to be posted at the CTD, was among the five suspects who had been arrested on charges of looting a van in New Karachi on Thursday.

The held inspector and his accomplices have been booked in a case registered under Sections 395 (punishment for dacoity), 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 412 (dishonestly receiving stolen property in the commission of a dacoity) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the driver of the looted van, Shaharyar.

Police say CTD official led the gang that looted vehicles carrying ghee in Central and Korangi districts

The complainant stated in the FIR that he was carrying six drums of cooking oil and 30 cartons of ghee in the van, which he was supposed to deliver at Sindhi Hotel in New Karachi on Thursday when a police mobile intercepted him near Chand Market at 3pm.

He said six policemen, who were armed, forcibly took him in their police mobile and they dropped him at Tower after travelling to different areas at 5pm. He informed the owner, Irfan, who came to the New Karachi Industrial Area police station and with the help of police they traced the location of the snatched van at a shop in Garden as a tracker was installed in the vehicle.

When a police team reached the shop in Garden, one suspect fled while three others who were removing cooking oil and ghee from the van and another person present in the shop were arrested. The held suspects were identified as Mohammed Usman, Abdul Wahid, Wasif and Mohammed Saad who identified the fleeing suspect as Arsalan, a guard of Inspector Zafar Iqbal.

The held suspects told the police that Arsalan and his accomplices had sold six drums of cooking oil and 30 cartons of ghee at cheaper rate to the shopkeeper.

A police officer, who wished not to be named, said that four held suspects were private persons, including an owner of the shop/ warehouse.

The officer said that this gang, led by Inspector Zafar Iqbal, was involved in looting vans carrying cooking oil, ghee not only in district Central, but Korangi as well for considerable time.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2023