GUJRANWALA, Jan 13: Three highwaymen who escaped from the local jail some five years ago were arrested following an encounter on Tuesday. After receiving an information that the outlaws were present in a Kingerwali village, DPO Saud Aziz directed Kamoki police to conduct a raid.

The outlaws, reported to be six in number, did open fire on police party before taking to their heels. The police managed to arrest three of them - Rafiq (ring leader), Naveed and Shahid.

The DPO said the ring leader was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a local court in 1995 in a narco case. But he escaped from jail in 1998 and organized a gang of highwaymen. Four stolen motorcycles, 10 mobiles phones, four pistols, two pump action were recovered from their possession.