VEHARI, Jan 5: Vehari police claim to have arrested 2,475 proclaimed offenders and recovered illegal weapons, vehicles and other valuables worth Rs14 million during the last year. This was stated by DPO Muhammad Mukhtar Jikka while talking to reporters here.

He said the police had also arrested 165 members of 48 dacoits’ gang which were active in south Punjab. Police also recovered a huge quantity of weapons, including 78 rifles, 580 pistols, 213 guns, 333 revolvers, 119 carbines, three Kalashnikov and 2,142 cartridges.

During the period, he said the police also seized 166 different vehicles from the custody of criminals.

In addition, the DPO said that 837 drug pusher were also arrested and registered 771 cases against them. Police recovered from them drugs, including five kilogramme hashish, over Rs5 million worth of poppy, 16,750 litres of liquor, besides sealing 103 liquor factories.

The DPO said that 1,538 cases against property were registered and solved 1,438 cases. He said police also registered 7,130 cases of various crimes, including dacoity, theft and kidnapping and traced 6,686 cases. While 444 cases were still under investigation.

He said the police would install close circuit cameras in all main markets in the Vehari district shortly. While a police control room would also be set up to check the crime.

All in all, the DPO said that the crime rate had decreased in the district during the year 2005 as compared to the previous year 2004.