KARACHI, Feb 18: The incidence of carjacking and cellphone robbery in the city in the first half of this month shows an upward trend as 528 vehicles – 222 four-wheelers and 306 motorbikes – as well as 1,967 cellphones were taken away during the period.

In the first fortnight of the last month, 750 mobile phones were reported snatched at gunpoint and 1,055 stolen. A total of 141 vehicles were snatched at gunpoint and 224 stolen.

The figures collated by Dawn show that as many as 829 cellphones were snatched in armed robberies and 1,138 were stolen from Feb 1 to 15.

Saddar Town was haven for mobile phone robbers, who snatched 107 phones at gunpoint. The town also stood on top of the rest ones in recording mobile phone theft cases as 157 sets were stolen during the fortnight. Gulshan Town followed suit where 105 cellphones were snatched and 150 stolen. According to a town-wise break-up, 68 cellphones were snatched and 80 stolen in Jamshed, 62 snatched and 58 stolen in North Nazimabad, 55 snatched and 49 stolen in Gulberg, 50 snatched and 58 stolen in Liaquatabad, 50 snatched and 49 stolen in New Karachi, 49 snatched and 94 stolen in Clifton, 49 snatched and 47 stolen in Shah Faisal, 41 snatched and 30 stolen in Lyari, 37 snatched and 53 stolen in Site, 33 snatched and 29 stolen in Malir, 29 snatched and 59 stolen in Korangi, 21 snatched and 41 stolen in Gadap, 20 snatched and 64 stolen in Landhi, 17 snatched and 33 stolen in Orangi, 13 snatched and 22 stolen in Bin Qasim, 12 snatched and 41 stolen in Keamari and 10 snatched and 23 stolen in Baldia.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town stood first in the incidence of carjacking as 57 cars were either snatched at gunpoint or stolen in the vicinity. Besides, 31 cars were taken away in Clifton, 29 in Jamshed, 21 in North Nazimabad, 16 each in Gulberg and Saddar, 14 in Shah Faisal, nine in Liaquatabad, seven in New Karachi, five each in Baldia and Korangi, three each in Bin Qasim and Orangi, two in Site and one each in Gadap, Landhi, Lyari and Malir.Of the 306 motorcycles taken away in the city, 128 were snatched at gunpoint and 178 stolen in the first half of the current month.

In Saddar Town, 44 motorbikes were taken away. Of the rest, 35 were taken away in Jamshed, 24 in Liaquatabad, 22 each in Gulshan, New Karachi and North Nazimabad, 16 in Malir, 15 each in Malir, Clifton, Gulberg and in Shah Faisal, 13 in Lyari, 12 each in Orangi and Korangi, 11 in Landhi, 10 in Bin Qasim, eight in Gadap, six in Site and three in Keamari towns.

Seventeen bikes were either snatched or stolen in the limits of Preedy Police Station, 15 in Taimuria police limits, 10 in Ferozabad, eight each in Jamshed Quarter and Khokhrapar, seven each in Kharadar, Korangi, Nazimabad, New Karachi Industrial Area, Sharea Faisal and Sir Syed Town, six each in Baghdadi, Korangi Industrial Area, Risala, Rizvia Society and Shah Latif Town, five each in Baloch Colony, Chakiwara, Frere, New Town, Orangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Surjani and Zaman town, four each in Brigade, Eidgah, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Mehmoodabad, Mominabad, Sachal, Samanabad, Shahrah-i-Noorjahan, Sharifabad, Soldier Bazaar, Super Market and Yousuf Plaza, three each in Boat Basin, Gizri, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Ibrahim Hydri, Jauharabad, Khawaja Ajmair Nagri, Landhi, Mithadar, Mobina Town, Model Colony, New Karachi, Pakistan Bazaar, Site and Saudabad police stations.