LARKANA, Dec 31: Police claimed to have arrested a bandit carrying Rs1.5 million head-money after a brief encounter on the outskirts of Qambar town on Saturday.

SSP of Qambar-Shahdadkot Azfar Mahesar told Dawn that a police party busy in snap checking spotted three persons riding on a motorcycle on a link road to the Villari Mugheri road.

They tried to escape and when police chased them, they opened fire, the SSP said.

After an encounter which lasted for more than half an hour, police arrested Ghulam Abbas Sangasani (Chandio) while the two others fled, the SSP said.

The SHO said that the arrested bandit had been nominated in over 40 cases, including police encounters, road robberies, kidnapping for ransom and murders, registered with different police stations in Sindh and Balochistan. Police have seized one Kalashnikov, two magazines and 200 unused bullets from him.

The SSP said the dacoit was associated with two gangs led by Gulbahar Mugheri and Wichhoon Chandio who had been active in Sindh and Balochistan.

Ghulam Abbas was the man behind planning of kidnappings, keeping victims in hideouts and finalising deals to release them after receiving ransom, the official said.

His arrest had weaken the gangs of dacoits operating in Qambar-Shahdadkot, the SSP said.

Raids had also been conducted in Karoohar mountain in Khairthar range and the hideouts of Gulbahar Mugheri had been destroyed, he said.