ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: Four officials of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) were suspended on the direction of Inspector General of Police (IGP) for their alleged involvement in patronising the auto-thief gangs, sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

Moreover, a departmental inquiry has been initiated against the officials and it is most likely that they would be shown the door if the allegation against them proved correct, the sources said.

During the inquiry being conducted by SSP Malik Mohammad Yousaf, the accused revealed that many other police officials including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) were involved in facilitating the gangs of auto-thieves in the federal capital.

A senior police officer told Dawn that an intelligence agency was approached by the police high-ups to trace the black sheep in the police uniform after two Adiala Jail prisoners, Walyat Shah and Adnan Khan, during investigation disclosed that several policemen were either patronising the auto-thief gangs or providing them assistance in lifting the vehicles and taking them out of the city.

Acting on the complaints lodged by victims of car theft incidents, the police, in the first week of September, succeeded in tracing Adiala Jail prisoners Walyat Shah and Adnan Khan who were demanding and collecting ransom money from the victims to get their cars back.

In response to the investigators’ queries, they revealed that they had been carrying out the criminal activities with the connivance of several policemen including Inspector Shafiq, Sub-Inspectors Shams, Ishaque, and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Sharif and Manzoor, the officer said and added that the police high-ups taking cognizance of the information provided by the prisoners, approached the intelligence agency which confirmed the involvement of the four policemen.

The links of other police officials with the auto-thieves including the DSP is yet to be established and intelligence agency is working on it, the officer added.

The four ACLC officials were suspended so that they might not influence the inquiry and tamper with the available record, he said.

The officer said that the policemen were allegedly involved in providing safe passage to the auto-thieves at the police pickets and in giving the details of police movement in the city.

The prisoners also revealed that at the check posts, they were never intercepted and they drove through the pickets with ease.

They also said that they were also facilitated at the ACLC checkpoints established in the limits of Margalla, Shalimar and Tarnol police stations.

The officer further said that Walyat Shah and Adnan Khan also provided information about other auto-thieves operating from the Adiala Jail. He said that efforts were in progress to take their custody and shift them to the capital for interrogation.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bani Amin Khan, when contacted, confirmed the suspension of the police officials and initiation of an inquiry against them.