ATTOCK, Jan 13: District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Hanif Joya said here on Sunday that it was the priority of the police to eliminate the proclaimed offenders, hardened criminals and other anti-state elements, hidden in the Kala Chitta mountainous range and alleged that they were posing serious threat to the life and property for the people of the district.

Speaking at press conference, the DPO said special measures were under consideration to launch a comprehensive operation to obliterate the network of these criminals, besides initiating a crackdown on the gambling and narcotics dens in the district.

“No anti-state element or gang is stronger than and above the law, and the criminals will have to surrender one day before the law enforcing agencies,” he said, and asked all the offenders to surrender themselves before the police and warned them of serious consequences if they did not follow the ‘advice’.

Referring the police encounter near Gonga Pind of Hasanabdal police station on Saturday night during which a person was recovered from the possession of a gang of kidnapers after killing two of them, he said a special police team had been deputed to arrest the two other kidnapers who fled away from the scene.—Correspondent