PESHAWAR, Dec 11: The internally displaced persons and Afghan nationals were involved in most of the crimes of heinous nature, especially kidnapping for ransom, in Peshawar division, officials said.

An official of home and tribal affairs department said here on Wednesday that a meeting of the divisional taskforce expressed concern over the increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom and decided to conduct crackdown on the possible dens of criminal gangs.

The meeting, which was presided over by Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, discussed targeted killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, arrest of proclaimed offenders and action against the persons whose profiles were provided by the newly established counter-terrorism department (CTD). The official said that the meeting emphasised on carrying out intelligence-led targeted operations in all the four zones of Peshawar simultaneously.

During the meeting, home department raised the issue of kidnapping of doctors and asked police and intelligence agencies as to why the groups involved in the kidnappings from Hayatabad were not busted.

The officials said that most of the criminal groups belonged to Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency, which had been declared a conflict zone and political administration was striving to restore write in the area.

The meeting was informed that most of the tribes of Bara were residing as IDPs in various camps elsewhere and no action could be taken against them. The meeting also discussed repair of boundary wall of Hayatabad.

The home secretary said that even if the boundary wall was repaired, incidents of kidnapping for ransom would occur unless and until gangs were arrested.

He said that investigation and detection was very weak and that was why the groups involved in the kidnappings could not be taken to task by police. Officials said that 50 per cent Afghan nationals were involved in kidnappings, targeted killings, extortion and other heinous crimes.

A number of criminals had been arrested and handed over to law enforcement agencies for necessary interrogation, they said.

Most of the criminals had their abodes at various known places within Peshawar city.

The political administration of Khyber Agency assured the meeting that targeted operation would be carried against miscreants in the area. — Bureau Report