Sindh to intensify counter measures against street crimes, katcha dacoits' factor

 

• CM Shah instructs police chief to initiate e-tagging of repeat offenders.
• Abduction of ransom incidents will be considered terror financing: CM.

According to n statement issued by the CM House on Monday, it has been decided to adopt special measures for monitoring of the sale of stolen or snatched mobile phones and vehicles as spare parts or in their complete form in the markets of Karachi. 

Street crimes

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar and Inspector General Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon while briefing the meeting said that street crime particularly mobile snatching and four-wheeler and two-wheeler theft has decreased due to improved policing, however, the cases of four and two-wheeler snatching has shown slight increase.

In 2023, 60 two-wheelers were snatched, and this number increased to 80 in 2024. Similarly, 1,805 two-wheelers were snatched in 2023, while the number of cases rose to 3,094 in 2024. However, the overall figures of street crime have shown a decrease of 1,613 cases.

In 2023, 27,680 cases of street crime were registered, while the number decreased to 26,067 in 2024. The meeting was reported that the police conducted 467 encounters in 2024. In these encounters, 67 criminals were killed, 489 were injured and 1,766 were arrested. The weapons recovered from the criminals included one SMG, 2,111 pistols, 30 rifles, seven shotguns and 18 grenades.

The chief minister instructed the provincial police chief to reactivate the Shaheen Force with a dedicated motorcycle squad of 386 motorcycles. The squad should patrol the identified hotspots during peak hours, and each SSP should issue and implement a patrolling plan.

Dacoits' factor

The home minister informed the meeting that he had visited all the districts of Sukkur and Larkana divisions, where dacoits have been causing problems.

He stated that since July 2022, the government constructed 107 police pickets along the left bank of the River Indus, where 759 police personnel are currently deployed.

Mr Memon said that his department has started an awareness campaign in different Colleges/universities to avoid drugs.

He added that during the last few months, 164 cases of narcotics have been registered against which 166 persons were arrested, seized 27 vehicles, and 22 motorcycles. He added that 4.380kg of heroin, 419.472 hashish, 1300kg of cannabis, 623 bottles of foreign liquor, 522 bottles of beer, 7154 litters of illicit liquor, 12.38kg of Ice, and other things have been recovered, the statement concluded.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Minister Information Sharjeel Memon, Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, DG Ranger Major General Azhar Waqas, PSCM Agha Wasif, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Advocate General Hassan Akbar, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Adl IG Karachi Imran Yakoob, Chief Custom Collector Mohammad Yakoob Mako, Water Board Chief Officers Asadullah Khan and other concerned officers.

E-tagging of street criminals

CM Shah instructed the police chief to initiate the e-tagging of repeat offenders. A pilot project should be started with 4,000 devices.

The IGP reported that rules have been drafted and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being formulated for the e-tagging process. The meeting was informed that 67 investigation officers have been assigned to cases of robbery with murder, robbery, and injury.

The police have activated the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to investigate this genre of cases.

CM Shah also directed the IGP Memon to upgrade the command and control centre at the Central Police Office (CPO). Currently, 2,000 cameras are already installed, 325 new cameras are being installed, and 500 old cameras are being upgraded to enhance security measures.