FAISALABAD, May 12: Police claimed on Monday to have arrested three terrorists who wanted to assassinate key figures of the district.

On a tip-off, a police team spotted a rickshaw near the railway station on Sunday night. During a search, they seized a cache of arms from the possession of three people.

They were later identified as Jamsheed Raza of Gujrat, Tahir of Gulshan-i-Habib, Karachi, and Usman Younis of Mamonkanjan, Faisalabad.

Police claimed to have recovered 20 hand-grenades, a Kalashnikov, two rifles, as many pistols, a detonator, a tape-recorder, two cylinders and fake identity care, police have busted 52 gangs and recovered stolen goods worth Rs27 million from their possession during the last four months.

A spokesman said police registered 2,651 cases of illegal weapds. During preliminary investigation, the accused said they wanted to hit prominent personalities of the district.

The police said Jamsheed along with his accomplice, Amjad Farooq, had committed a bank robbery in 2003 and killed one Allah Dad in Gujrat. Further investigation is under way.

Meanwhilons and seized 14 Kalashnikovs, 440 rifles, 1,524 pistols and 230 revolvers.

He said the police also recovered 7,457 rounds and arrested 1,266 proclaimed offenders and 923 court absconders.

Besides, he said efforts were also afoot to check the trend of wheat and flour smuggling.

He said the police set up various pickets and seized wheat and flour bags in huge quantity. — Staff Correspondent