KARACHI, Feb 19: Five suspects, who were on run after looting a house in Defence, were arrested by the Darakhshan police after a six-hour siege.

Police said the bandits barged into the house of Imran Butt at Khayaban-i-Mujahid around 4am after cutting the grill of a window. They said the intruders held the inmates hostage at gunpoint and looted cash, jewellery and valuables, worth over Rs600,000. A watchman of the neighbouring house became suspicious and informed the police.

Clifton TPO Azad Khan said the dacoits hid in nearby houses when a police party reached.

He said the police, however, arrested two of them and laid a siege for three others. He said a whole locality was surrounded by police who finally arrested the three around 11am.

The police also seized five unlicensed pistols from dacoits, who were identified as Mohammed Hashim, ring leader, Mohammed Hasan, Mohammed Ismail, Munawwar and Hafeez.

SHO Darkhshan Zia Hasan Rizvi told Dawn that the suspects were Bengali and residents of Ibrahim Haidri. He said Mohammed Hasan was convicted in a murder case and cases against others were still pending in different courts.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Dacoity Robbery Cell arrested a suspected ringleader of street criminals’ gang and seized 10 snatched mobile phones from his possession during a raid at Regal Chowk.

Suspect Shoaib Khan, son of Maqbool Khan, was allegedly running a gang hailing from Punjab. Ten cellphones snatched in different areas were recovered from his custody. Police said accused was going to strike a deal of snatched mobile phones to a supplier, when police caught him. Raids are being conducted for arrest of his accomplices.