KARACHI: The Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) of the police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested five individuals, including a dismissed policeman, for snatching vehicles.

Acting on a tip-off, the ACLC police arrested three suspects in New Town and recovered a car from their custody which was snatched on Tuesday night, said ACLC SSP Asad Raza. The arrested persons were identified as Yasin Bhayo, Ismail Bhayo and Shahzad Bhayo.

“Yasin was charge-sheeted in 35 criminal cases in the past; Ismail was a sacked employee of the Jacobabad district government while Shahzad was a dismissed constable of the Kashmore police,” the SSP added.

Two pistols were also recovered from their possession. The ACLC then arrested the gang’s leader Badar Panhwar and his accomplice Mumtaz Bhayo.

During the initial investigation, it transpired that they were part of an active gang which snatched private and official cars from Defence and Clifton localities.

Lala Shamsheer Tanoli and Akbar Ali Bhayo have been identified as absconding members of this gang. Shamsheer is a dismissed police inspector.

About two weeks ago, they had allegedly snatched two government vehicles — GSC-477 (belonging to a member of the Sindh Public Service Commission) and GSC-680 (belonging to the principal of a dental college) from Karachi.

The suspects handed over the snatched vehicles to Gulzar Jatoi, who was a notorious outlaw based in katcha (riverine) area of Shikarpur district.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018