LAHORE: Police claimed on Tuesday to have busted a gang involved in looting citizens through online taxi apps and arrested its four members.

As per a handout, the gang had been operating by using fake ride-hailing apps to target passengers. According to details, a citizen was robbed of valuables worth millions of rupees after booking a ride on Jail Road, Lahore. The driver fled with the victim’s belongings.

The victim quickly contacted Police Helpline 15. A virtual patrolling officer at Punjab Safe Cities Authority immediately traced the suspects’ vehicle using advanced surveillance cameras and AI-powered tracking systems. The data was shared with Lahore police, who swiftly apprehended the suspects.

Upon arrest, police recovered vehicles, luxury items, weapons, and more than 200 SIM cards from the gang. Initial investigations revealed that the gang had been defrauding citizens by posing as drivers through fake taxi apps.

Authorities have urged the public to use only authentic and reliable platforms when booking online rides to avoid such frauds.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2025