KARACHI: Police on Thursday claimed to have busted a gang allegedly involved in house robberies and short-term kidnappings via an online platform and arrested two of its members, who used to wear fake police uniforms to commit the crimes.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal police SHO Mohammed Naeem Rajput told Dawn that the gang hailing from south Punjab was active for the past one year in Karachi.

He said four FIRs had been registered against the suspects at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal, two at the Defence and one each at the Sharea Faisal and the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police stations.

He added that the gang members hailed from Rahim Yar Khan, where four FIRs had also been registered against them.

The suspects — Bilal Khilji and Syed Waqas Husain — were apprehended with the help of closed-circuit television camera footage obtained from several crime scenes.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by east police said that the suspects used to steal data from a private “digital site” and contact customers to send deliveries.

They would wear fake police uniforms and reach the doorsteps of the customers to commit robberies and kidnappings.

The police said on March 6, 2025 the alleged suspects entered another house in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block-1, looted four mobiles [phones], an LED TV, gold jewellery, watches and cash.

They also kidnapped the house owner and took him to ATMs in various parts of the metropolis to withdraw cash. They dropped him later on.

In another incident on Feb 8, 2025 in 13-D of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, the suspects clad in police uniforms entered another house and looted valuables.

They also kidnapped the house owner and took him to different ATMs and EasyPaisa shops and withdrew cash.

Three fake police uniforms, two pistols, eight snatched cell phones, 20 bags and one car with fake number plate have been recovered from their possession.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2025