RAWALPINDI: The police have identified eight ‘illegal groups’ suspected of criminal activity in the city involving narcotics, robbery, violent attacks, murders, shootings, forgery and more.

The groups include the Boxer Group, the Tiger Student Federation, the 333 Group, the 222 Group, the Wali Group, KSF Group, 313 Mila Tiger Group and 786 Haq Such Group. They have a combined 175 members in various parts of the city.

The police, with the help of intelligence, have gathered information on the names, mobile phone numbers and whereabouts of group members, as well as details of where they have been operating and their activities.

The police have indicated that the Boxer Group has 85 members, the TSF Group 17 members, the 333 Group has 24 members, the Wali Group six members, the KSF Group has four members, the 313 Tiger Group has 20 and 786 Haq Such Group has 12 members.

The groups are also operating Facebook accounts.

“I was tasked by senior officers to collect data and other details of such groups, if they are operating in my jurisdiction, but I could not find any such activity in the limits of my police station,” the Civil Lines station house officer Mian Imran told Dawn.

One of the groups has been operating in the limits of the Airport police, and others in Sadiqabad, Pirwadhai, Rawat and Ghori Town.

A senior police officer posted in Rawalpindi said he had directed the police to collect all the data and particulars of such groups, as he has decided to go after them.

“Yes, I have done a lot of work on such illegal groups, such as how many groups under which names and how many members were operating in the city, and what kinds of crimes they were committing.”

He added that a complete report on groups operating in the city for the last year had been prepared with the help of intelligence and arrests have begun.

The report has also been shared with the provincial police chief and law minister by the regional police officer (RPO).

“These illegal groups are very powerful, as the land mafia’s people are supporting them,” the police officer said. He added that group members possess automatic weapons and double cabin four wheel vehicles.

He said that in addition to locals, some Afghan nationals living in Rawalpindi are also active members.

“After Karachi and Lahore, illegal groups have been operating in Rawalpindi for the first time which is an alarming situation,” he said.

The Sadiqabad police recently arrested Wali Jan, an Afghan national, who the police have claimed is a member of the 786 Haq Such Group and wanted in connection with a criminal case registered in 2016.

Sadiqabad SHO Malik Allah Yar said Mr Jan had been a member of the Taji Group but later formed his own 786 Group. He also claimed Mr Jan was involved in the killing of two people at a judicial complex last March.

“The police have arrested the gang member and are investigating him in connection with the killing of four police personnel in the Sadiqabad area as well,” he said.

A former senior police officer said: “Such illegal groups are only formed for land occupations, and they benefit from having been declared proclaimed offenders because they are considered more powerful and daring and then get a good price from their customers.”

“If such groups are not dismantled today they will become larger, well-organised groups in the future,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2019