KARACHI, Oct 27: A sharp rise of 27 per cent in the incidents of carjacking and motorcycle lifting has been recorded in the month of Ramazan this year as compared to the holy month last year.

According to the statistics jointly compiled by the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) and the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), a total of 1,281 vehicles were taken away during this Ramazan as compared to 932 in the same month last year.

On an average, more than 42 people were deprived of their vehicles every day.

The data shows that 523 cars and 758 motorcycles were either snatched at gunpoint or stolen by bandits, who apparently found the field favourable. Bandits had taken away 366 cars and 566 motorbikes in the corresponding period last year. During this Ramazan, 110 cars were snatched at gunpoint and 423 were stolen while 273 motorbikes were hijacked and 485 were stolen.

The steep rise in such incidents is being attributed to the poor management by the new leadership of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell. The exit and entry points of the city are not being manned properly, making it easy for criminals to get through unchecked and shift the vehicles out of the city.

Police sources said that a superintendent of police was posted in the ACLC, who had been transferred from the post of SP criminology in the forensic department on the charge of negligence. Besides, the in-charge of the ACLC is supposed to be having a dubious standing in the ranks and files of the police department. The posting of two senior officers of controversial integrity indicated the poor performance and ultimately led to the rise in the incidents of carjacking and motorbike lifting.

The data also shows that a total of 8,801 incidents took place across the city during the first three quarters of the current year as compared to 7,094 in the corresponding period of the year 2005. The Saddar Town remained on the top, followed by Gulshan, Jamshed, Clifton and North Nazimabad towns.

According to the statistics, 978 incidents had taken place every month and over 32 people had been deprived of their vehicles per day on an average during the first three quarters of this year.The data shows that 3,574 four-wheelers and 5,227 two-wheelers were snatched or stolen in various localities in the city during the past nine months as against 2,895 four-wheelers and 4,199 two-wheelers hijacked or stolen in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The crime data pattern prepared by the CPLC shows that the maximum numbers of vehicles were lifted on Thursdays and Saturdays followed by Tuesdays and Wednesdays. During the past nine months, criminals appeared to be most active in the first and last week of every month. The findings show that the maximum number of cars lifted was Suzuki.

Police have claimed having recovered 3,253 vehicles, including 1,697 four-wheelers, during the past nine months. They said that the recovery percentage of cars stood at 52.16 and of motorcycles at 48.75. Besides, many criminals involved in the organised crime of carjacking were arrested, they added.