KARACHI, Sept 2: A police official facing suspension was arrested on Thursday for his alleged involvement in a Rs13.1 million robbery case.

Police said Mehboob Motiwala, a money-changer, with his four guards and a driver, was carrying cash from his sub-office to the head office in a Suzuki when he was intercepted by some people in police uniform on a street behind the new Sindh Secretariat.

"A man was in inspector's uniform and four others in constable's uniform while two others were in civvies and wearing police caps. All carried AK-47 rifles," the ASP Preedy, Javed Mehr said, quoting the complainant.

"They took the guns from armed guards for verification and also grabbed the bag containing cash of Rs13.1 million. The robbers, who were in two cars, also took away keys of the Suzuki, ASP said.

An FIR 562/2004 was registered according to which the money was not insured. SSP Investigation Zone-I Manzoor Mughal said that the police found an abandoned car (Coure) near Haqqani Chowk in Mithadar police limits. In the car, three repeaters and a rifle were also found, he added.

He said investigations were being conducted into the robbery and sketches were being prepared with the help of guards and the driver, who all were in protective custody.

However, the police sources said they had picked up constable Faiz Mir, posted in the investigation Zone-II (Gulshan). He is under suspension for the past six months. The sources said that the police had shown some photographs to the guards of Motiwala, who identified the suspect as one of the robbers.

"We have associated Faiz with the investigation process and will produce him before the complainants for his identification. We have also picked up two more police officials but their names cannot be disclosed at the moment", a police official told Dawn on condition of anonymity.

Sources said a dismissed police constable Zar Badshah was also picked up for investigation into the robbery. The suspect was dismissed as police constable. He was in jail in a robbery case and was released on bail in 2003.

ROBBERY: Seven armed suspects looted a bank branch of Rs20,000 on Thursday morning on Shaheed Millat Road. Police said armed suspects barged into the Allied Bank branch at 9:45am, held the inmates hostage at gunpoint after depriving the guard Hashim of his weapon.