KARACHI, Nov 3: City police failed in meeting the deadline of Oct 31 given by the prime minister for curbing street crimes as bandits outwitted law enforcers by breaking the previous records of snatching and stealing cars and motorbikes.

According to the data jointly compiled by the Anti-Car Lifting Cell and the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, bandits took away 1,211 vehicles in the last month.

The break-up shows that 502 cars and 709 motorbikes were either snatched at gunpoint or stolen. The figures show that it was the highest recorded incidents during a month since the year 2000.

The data shows that 98 cars were snatched at gunpoint and 404 others were stolen while 475 motorbikes were taken away at gunpoint and 234 others were stolen.

The incidents of snatching of cars appeared considerably low while the increase in the incidents of theft is alarming.

Insiders in the police department said that there were numerous factors involved in snatching and theft of cars. It was observed that many cars were taken away to steal CNG kit.

It was found that in 26 per cent of car theft cases CNG kit was stolen. The data shows that every fourth car is lifted away for removal of gas kit.

A proposal to put a strict check on dealers and shopkeepers dealing in conversion of petrol cars into CNG system could not work due to reluctance of police hierarchy.

A form was designed in this respect and it was suggested that any person interested in removing the CNG kit or installing an old CNG kit would be required to fill in the form.

However, new CNG kit installation would be exempted. It could be an effective check to control theft of CNG kits, but the proposal was still in doldrums, the insiders claimed.

They said that despite the deployment of police at all exit and entry points, theft of 26 per cent of vehicles could not be controlled as they were being lifted for removal of CNG kits.

The system of monitoring the vehicles’ theft for removal of CNG kits was abandoned since the new in-charge took over.

Had it been carried out by a watchdog like CPLC, the monitoring system of vehicles’ theft for CNG kits would have continued, they added.

Police sources said that the in-charge of the ACLC’s conduct was deemed as questionable by the ranks and files of the police department.

An alleged carjacker Abdur Rehman, arrested red-handed with a stolen car in Kot Sabzal police limits in Punjab bordering Sindh province, was taken to ACLC headquarters and later let off in sum of Rs300,000.

When the matter was brought into the notice of high-ups, the man was again picked up.

Similarly, another alleged carjacker Abdul Ghaffar was picked up and arrested in only one case after he allegedly greased the palm of ACLC officers.

However, the sources said that the suspected carjacker was wanted and involved in numerous cases.