ISLAMABAD: Capital police said on Saturday it busted a gang of robbers and recovered looted valuables worth Rs35 million.

Islamabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Ali Raza in a news conference held at the Rescue-15 office in Islamabad announced the arrest of the two members of an organised gang of Afghan nationals.

According to the police officer, the suspects were involved in armed robberies and house burglaries.

“The suspects were found in possession of stolen items, including gold jewellery, artificial jewellery, watches and other valuables worth over Rs35 million, along with weapons used in the crimes,” he said.

DIG Raza said that unidentified suspects had entered a residence and looted gold jewellery, cash, watches, artificial jewellery and other valuables at gunpoint.

A special police team was formed to investigate the matter which utilised technical resources and human intelligence to apprehend the two suspects.

Mr Raza commended the police team for their effective investigation and swift action and awarded them with cash rewards.

He also highlighted Islamabad police’s efforts to apprehend individuals involved in heinous crimes, such as murder.

Separately, DIG Raza disclosed that, due to the police’s effective investigation, the perpetrators involved in a robbery-murder case were convicted by a court.

Rizwan Gohar, one of the convicts, received the death sentence and a fine of Rs600,000, while Kamal Ahmed was sentenced to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs500,000.

The incident, which occurred in January 2024 and was registered with Sumbal police station, involved the murder of Waseem Akram during a robbery.

The victim’s mother, who attended the press conference, expressed gratitude to Islamabad police for their investigation and assistance in securing justice for her son.

The DIG reaffirmed the Islamabad police’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of citizens while continuing efforts to further reduce crime in the capital city.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2025