KARACHI, March 9: The Anti-Car Lifting Unit (ACLU) has claimed to have arrested key men of three inter-provincial gangs and seized from them 11 vehicles, including that of an MPA-elect belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

A senior official said on Sunday the latest arrests were part of a renewed operation against car-lifters across the city, which led to the arrest of three culprits, one of them operating for almost 10 years.

“The vehicles we recovered from their possession includes a Toyota Hilux, which belongs to Hyder Abbas Rizvi of the MQM, snatched from his driver in Azizabad a couple of days ago,” SP Khurram Waris told a press conference.

He said the ACLU arrested three car-lifters and it expected more following leads from investigations. The ACLU set up two teams for the recent operations under senior officers, which returned desired results, he added.

“One of the teams headed by DSP East Asif Razzaq nabbed a car-lifter, Azmat Ali, in North Nazimabad and seized the vehicle of Mr Rizvi. The team also seized a pistol from him,” he said. The culprit also took away two licensed rifles placed inside the MNA-elect’s vehicle, which were also seized, he said. Though, three of his accomplices escaped during the operations, he added, the police seized three more vehicles on disclosures from the arrested car-lifter.

In another action, SP Waris said, an ACLU team led by DSP Irfan Zaman intercepted a coaster on the Super Highway carrying three men, who opened fire and drove away.