KARACHI, Sept 12: The Anti-car lifting Cell (ACLC) of police department on Sunday broke a network of car jackers by arresting five of its gang-members and recovering five stolen vehicles from their possession.

The police, having collected information, conducted raids on specified places in Lyari, Saddar and Ferozabad and arrested Manzoor Brohi, believed to be the ring-leader, along with his accomplices, Malik Mumtaz, Akram, Muneer and Mohammad Hamid alias Rafiq, according to SSP of the ACLC Bashir Memon, who has assumed the charge a couple of days ago.

He told Dawn on Sunday: "We have recovered a Suzuki Cultus, a Honda City, a Hi-roof, and a Coure, as well as a motorcycle, which they had snatched or stolen and hidden at certain places," he added.

Inspector Ismail Lashari, who interrogated the suspects, said that the suspects had been lifting vehicles and sending them to Panjgor in Balochistan. Some vehicles had been smuggled out of the country as well, he added.

In some cases, he said, they had been getting stolen vehicles re-registered in Punjab for sale at low prices. All the arrested suspects, according to him, belonged either to Balochistan or Punjab.

Meanwhile, SSP Bashir Memon said that another suspected carjacker, wanted in many cases, was arrested at Toll Plaza on Super Highway. The suspect, identified as Amanullah Mazari, was trying to dispatch a Toyota Corolla he had snatched in Ferozabad. The vehicle belonged to Air Commodore Nayyar Farooqui, he said.

The vehicle, snatched on Sept 9 and recovered the next day, carried all security credentials that authorise its driver to get through any highly sensitive installation, including airports. A TT pistol was recovered from Mazari's possession.

During interrogation, Mazari told the police that he had handed over five stolen vehicles to two persons, Munir Samejo and Fakhruddin Mandrani Jamali, in Osta Mohammad, Balochistan. He led the police to his hide-out where a stolen Coure (AFP-270) was found, said the SSP, adding that recovery of more vehicles and arrest of his accomplices was expected.