LAHORE, July 7: The police conducted several raids in different parts of the city during the last 36 hours to hunt down suspected people and took several of them into custody.

The raids were conducted at hotels, guesthouses, inns and other places following Islamabad’s suicide blast on Sunday and several blasts occurred in Karachi on Monday.

The police have been put on high alert after fresh security directives by the Central Police Office to prevent untoward incidents of terrorism and sabotage.

The uniformed and plainclothes officials have been deployed at all entry and exit points, important places, government establishments, foreign offices and residences of important personalities across the province.

In Lahore, extra officials have been deployed at all important places and routes for security.

Operations SSP Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmed told Dawn that officials had been doubled at all entry and exit points.

He said several raids had been conducted in hotels, guesthouses and inns to hunt down suspected elements in connection with sabotage activities.

The SSP said so far the police had taken at least 40 people into custody from different hotels and guesthouses.

He said officials in plainclothes, who were deployed in all commercial markets and places, were making videos of the ordinary citizens and movements in order to prevent any untoward incident.

Security of VVIPs and their offices and residences, police and government establishments and foreigners had been intensified, he said.