GUJRAT, Dec 17: As many as 12 dacoits took away gold ornaments, diamonds and foreign currency worth Rs17.5 million from a jeweller’s shop in main bazaar in Kharian Cantonment police precincts, some 30 kilometres from here, on Wednesday.

The police said the dacoits equipped with automatic weapons entered the shop of Mazhar Shahzad and took his staff, including five gunmen, hostage at gunpoint. Later, they collected gold jewellery, diamond sets and foreign currency all worth Rs17.5 million and fled.

The police registered a case on Shahzad’s complaint and started investigation.

This was the second biggest robbery in the district during the last two weeks. Earlier, cell phones worth Rs9.5 million were looted from a company’s franchise shop on Ramtalai Road of Gujrat city.

Also, a forex dealer of Gujrat, Muziyan Hameed Butt, was deprived of Rs8.3 million during a dacoity in Muslimabad locality of Gujrat some eight months ago.

The police are, however, still unable to solve these incidents despite protest demonstrations launched by traders.

The Anjuman-i-Tajaran has expressed its concern over the rising incidents of crime and urged Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other authorities to provide protection to traders and businessmen.