LARKANA, April 27: Police claimed on Friday to have arrested five bandits, including the main accused in a case of hijacking of a van with 15 passengers and PIA staff members from the airport road in 1997. Qambar-Shahdadkot SSP Captain (Retd) Azfar Mahesar said at a press conference that Mehboob Jamali, the main accused in the case, had been hiding in Balochistan for all the years and cultivating land occupied by influential people of the area.

Police were tipped off when the man crossed over into Sindh and a hot pursuit led to his arrest near Golo wah area, 55 kilometres from here.

He said the police team captured him after a brief encounter. He was armed with a Kalashnikov. The outlaw who had been a close associate of notorious dacoits Paroo Chandio and Qadoo Sargani carried Rs1.5 million head money, he said.

The official said that another notorious dacoit, Zeb Chandio, with Rs500,000 head money was arrested from Kajlo Mughiri village where he was planning to commit a crime.

He was wanted by police in nine cases of kidnapping, robbery and encounters. His father Daddan Mirzani Chandio also carried head money of Rs1.5 million.

He said that three other members of different bandit gangs, Noor Chandio, Dilbar Chandio and Ghulam Hussain Chandio, had been arrested after raids in different areas. Over 27 cases of heinous crime were registered against them at several police stations.

Two Kalashnikovs, two repeaters and a pistol were found in their possession, he said.—Correspondent