CHARSADDA: The central character involved in the killing of a taxi driver from Lower Dir and snatching his car was arrested here on Friday.

Talking to mediapersons, DSP Taj Mohammad Khan and SHO city Jauhar Rashid Khan said the arrested man, Umar Farooq alias Anwaray, was key member of an inter-provincial gang of auto thieves.

Lower Dir district nazim Abdullah Shah was also present on the occasion.

The police officers said the accused was involved in several incidents of killings and car snatching.

Eight members of the gang, including four women, were arrested a couple of days ago. The accused were involved in kidnapping taxi drivers with the help of women, they added.

The police officer said the gang members rented cars from Rawalpindi and brought them to Charsadda where they killed the drivers and snatched their vehicles.

A cab driver, Rahatullah of Maidan area of Lower Dir, was killed and his car was snatched by unknown assailants near Khweshgi Korona in Tarnab area last Friday. Similarly, in another incident a taxi driver, Umar Khan of Lal Qilla Swat, was killed and his car was snatched.

On the directives of IGP Mohammad Naeem Khan, DIG Mardan Iranfullah Marwat had formed three different investigation teams in the supervision of DSP Taj Mohammad Khan, which busted the gang in a short span of time, the police officials said.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 divers fished out bodies of two students belonging to Kotla Mohsin Khan area of Peshawar from Sardaryab River on Friday. Their bodies were dispatched to their native town.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2019