BANNU, June 12: In a hold-up on the old Bannu-Kohat road near Chooghai in the jurisdiction of Karak police on Wednesday, robbers deprived passengers and drivers of private and public transport vehicles of cash and other valuables.

The bandits blocked the road close to a police checkpoint that continued their looting spree for about an hour.

After robing the inmates and passengers of eight cars, four coaches and three trucks, the dacoits fled towards nearby mountains, some of the victims told Dawn.

The dacoits also signalled a Karak police mobile van to stop, but when they recognized it, they started firing into the air and fled, taking the booty with them.

The victims told this scribe that when the people asked the police mobile team, comprising Banda Daud Shah SHO and four constables, to chase the dacoits, they fired on the fleeing dacoits and instead of chasing the bandits, they (policemen) blamed the passengers and drivers of the vehicles for letting the bandits escape.