KARACHI: Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested five suspects they said were involved in a recent attempt to loot citizens on a bridge in Karachi’s Shah Faisal Colony.

East Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Farrukh Ali had ordered an inquiry over the incident after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The video showed motorists and commuters standing on the bridge, complaining about “12 to 15 robbers” armed with Kalashnikov rifles and openly looting travellers.

On the other hand, Malir police had maintained that no citizen was robbed in the incident, which took place in the jurisdiction of Sharafi Goth police station, due to the timely action by law enforcers.

Addressing a press conference at his office, Korangi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fida Husain Janwari said on Tuesday, “The arrested suspects obstructed the vehicles on Shah Faisal Colony bridge on April 11 with the intention of committing robbery, but fled when the people put up resistance and police arrived at the scene.”

SSP Janwari said that the suspects were also involved in looting Rs500,000 cash from a cattle trader on April 16.