PESHAWAR, Feb 1: The police have busted three gangs of carjackers and recovered 23 vehicles from their possession.

City police chief, Deputy Inspector-General Tanveerul Haq Sipra, said at a press conference at Police Headquarters on Saturday that members of the gangs were arrested during the last month. He claimed that arrests of more carjackers were expected soon.

Senior superintendent of police, investigation, Khalid Habib, said that Ziarat Gul, son of Ashraf, resident of Noorabad, Mardan, was the leader of a gang that had taken away several cars in Hayatabad. The police recovered several vehicles on the basis of information provided by him.

Ejaz, son of Fazl-i-Malik, resident of Jamal Ghari, Mardan, the leader of another gang, confessed that he was involved in several cases of carjacking and the police recovered a number of cars on his information, the SSP said.

The accused revealed names of government officials involved in his crime, Khalid Habib said and added that he had accomplices in Dara Adamkhel, Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda and Swat. The police had sent teams to arrest them, he said.

Other members of the gangs arrested were: Faisal Mukhtar and Khalid Mukhtar, sons of Mukhtar Ahmad, residents of Yousufabad; Faisal and  Zubair, sons of Sameen Jan, residents of Ganj; Abid, son of Bashir Zaman, Kamran, son of Mohammad Aslam, Mohammad Asad, son of Mohammad

Ashraf, of Khairpur; and Iqbal, son of Jalat Khan, resident of Attock.

The police recovered two cars from their possession and five on the basis of their statements.

Khalid Habib said Faqirabad police, with the help of Central Investigation Agency, had busted a gang of carjackers and recovered 16  vehicles.

The gang members were: Banaras, son of Abdur Rauf, and his son Taus, of Dara Adamkhel; Habibuddin, son of Qamar Din, resident of Musazai; Nusrat Shah, son of Maruf Shah, resident of Badhber; Olas, son of  Daud, resident of Badhber; Sher Bahdar, son of Zareen Khan, resident of Pabbi, Nowshera; and Asif, son of Ashiq, resident of Sheikhupura.

The SSP said Banaras was the leader of the gang and he was an expert in changing chases numbers.

The accused was wanted by Karachi police in cases of car lifting, the SSP maintained.

He asked those whose car were lifted to contact the police to help broaden the investigation.