LAHORE, July 28: Police claim to have busted five gangs of criminals in the last one week, arresting 31 members, including two women, and recovering Rs395,000 in cash, 45 tola gold, 37 cell phones and a large quantity of illegal weapons from their possession.

The police also seized 13 snatched motorcycles from the accused who would operate in the areas of Liaquatabad, Gulberg, Nishtar Colony and Kahna. They also confessed to committing 150 incidents of dacoity, robbery and street crime.

DIG (Operations) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar flanked by Model Town SP (Operations) Muhammad Awais Malik told reporters here on Thursday that the Model Town division police acted aggressively against the gangs of robbers and criminals.

The DIG said the gang led by Shahid alias Shidi had shot dead a child during a house robbery in Kahna.

He said the Gulberg police arrested five members, including two women, of the Ashraf alias Achu gang who used to enter houses pretending to be spiritual leaders and loot cash and valuables at pistol point.

He said the latest arrests by the Model Town division police would have a positive impact on an overall policing that would help reduce the crime rate.

The DIG said the street crime had witnessed a downward trend as it had come to 15 incidents a day from 25 before his posting.

Mr Dogar said 100 per cent free registration of cases was on top priority and he had issued show-cause notices to police officials, including SHOs, in this respect.

Responding to a questioner as to how the Lahore police were securing the chief minister in the light of intelligence reports of his possible assassination by extremists, the DIG said the police were already providing maximum security to all VIPs, including the CM. He said threat alerts against the VIPs were taken seriously.