LAHORE, Jan 25: Police have neither the modern equipment nor trained staff to effectively deal with the rising incidents of kidnap for ransom, a heinous form of crime considered an `easy way’ by the outlaws to make fast bucks.
Police sources say whatever success the force has so far achieved in solving abduction-for-money cases was mostly because of the satellite-based phone tracking system available with an intelligence agency.
The police also lacked a specialised wing to deal with abduction-for-ransom cases and the investigation and CIA police had to handle the crime, the sources say.
Sources in the organised crime (CIA), which deals with such crimes in a majority of cases in the city, say from tracing the culprits to recovering the abducted people and the ransom money, police was heavily dependent on the intelligence agency’s tracking system.
The department has no experts and psychologists, who are considered vital in solving such cases, while it also lacks technical facilities to deal with abductors and safely recover the victims, the sources say.
In all such cases, the presence and whereabouts of kidnappers were traced through the phone tracking system and police teams only deserved credit for conducting raids and taking timely steps to arrest the culprits, they said.
“The wing lacks psychologists, trained negotiators, specialized units and special courses to deal with the abductors and timely rescue of the victims,” the sources said.
They said neither the government nor the police high-ups had so far planned any specialised cell to cope with such crimes.
Police officers were appointed in the organised crime wing on ad hoc basis, who usually worked on traditional pattern in the light of their experience.
“Cell phone has become an effective tool in committing any crime, including kidnap for ransom, and the investigation and organised crime wings must be equipped with phone tracking system as soon as possible,” a senior police officer said seeking anonymity.
“Absence of witnesses, failure to trace the location, weak victim-police contact and fear of casualty during recovery of the victim make this crime difficult to solve,” he said.
As many as 103 child kidnapping incidents were reported during 2006, as compared to 91 during 2005. While, 758 abduction incidents were reported in 2006 against 736 in 2005. Similarly, abduction for ransom cases increased from 22 in 2005 to 29 in 2006.
Organised Crime SP Masood Aziz also agreed there was a need to establish specialized units and deployment of trained officers at each district to cope with the rising incidents of abduction for ransom.
“Police are handling such cases manually, but unfortunately they do not have the phone tracking facility which can help locate the criminals,” he said. —Muhammad Faisal Ali