DADU: A gang of five robbers, said to be active in different areas of Sindh for long, surrendered itself before police and Rangers personnel after a five-hour hold-up in a house located in Wapda Colony, Jamshoro, on Tuesday.

The robbers barged into the house of Sadaqat Soomro and held 45 people — 12 men, 25 women and eight children forming many families — hostage at gunpoint before collecting cash and valuables. However, police received information about the hold-up and rushed to the specified house before they could flee with the booty, SSP Dr Imran Khan said.

He told local reporters that two police parties led by DSP Shabbir Sarki and SHO Adam Abro surrounded the house and started negotiations with the robbers to save the lives of the hostages. In the meantime, Rangers personnel also arrived at the scene and joined in their efforts for the safe release of the hostages.

The hold-up lasted about five hours and finally the security personnel succeeded in persuading the robbers to surrender themselves and release all the hostages unharmed.

Later, police arrested the robbers and identified them as Anwar Ahmed, Ali Jan Abro and Qadir Bux Buriro, residents of Shikarpur; Ghulam Qadir Jakhrani, a resident of Hyderabad and Mohammad Hussain Jakhrani, a resident of Tando Jam.

The SSP said that five pistols and 209 live rounds were seized from them.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2021