FAISALABAD, June 23: The district police officer claims the killing of three most-wanted bandits in an encounter late Thursday night will be instrumental in declining the crime graph.

Talking to newsmen here on Friday, DPO Mohammad Amin Wains said Ishtiaq of Faisalabad, Nasir Warraich of Lahore and Naseer of Jhang were running a very systematic gang of robbers and abductors.

He said Ishtiaq was involved in dozens of cases of heinous crime, including the killing of three people in a dacoity attempt, and had become a terror for the people of Faisalabad especially the yarn merchants.

He said there were reports that this gang was committing crimes such as vehicle snatching, robberies in houses and godowns of industrialists, kidnapping for ransom and receiving protection money from the people by threatening them with dire consequences.

The DPO said Ishtiaq was declared proclaimed offender in 1996 in an illegal weapon case, and after that he committed scores of crimes. He said local traders and shopkeepers had complained to the police a number of times about the threatening calls received from Ishtiaq.

It may be noted here that five armed men snatched a car from Shahzad on Sargodha Road. On information, the police intercepted them near Eidhgah Road, but they opened fire that was retalited. In the crossfire, three of the bandits were killed while two others fled taking an advantage of darkness.

The DPO claimed that raids were being conducted for the arrest of the other two accused.