KARACHI: A suspected extortionist was gunned down while two others were arrested after an alleged encounter in Surjani Town early on Monday morning, police said.

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) SSP Mohammed Shoaib Memon said that, acting upon a tip-off that six members of an extortionist gang were present at the specified place, the police, with the technical support of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), conducted a raid in Surjani.

He added that in the ensuing exchange of fire, one suspect was gunned down, two others were arrested but their three companions managed to escape.

The deceased suspect was identified as Fayyaz and the held suspects as Waqas and Rameez.

SSP Memon said the mobile phone used by the suspects to demand extortion from traders was also recovered from their possession.

The members of the gang used to work in private security companies and were involved in the reconnaissance of traders. They had demanded Rs500,000 from a cloth merchant and threatened him with dire consequences.

The arrested suspects revealed that they had also resorted to firing on traders over non-payment of extortion.

The body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2025