Karachi: Gulistan-e-Johar police station attacked

KARACHI: More than 80 “scrap dealers” attacked Gulistan-e-Johar police station, leaving two policemen injured, Geo News reported on Friday.

Police said over 80 people involved in the scrap business stormed the police station as well as tortured and pelted stones at policemen which resulted in injuries to two cops including an ASI.

The scrap dealers attacked police officials after three suspects were arrested for selling stolen goods, they said.

"The attack was spearheaded by the president of scrap dealers’ association, Iqbal Rind, to get the suspects freed from the police station," they said adding that six of the assailants had been arrested, while the rest of them fled. The police resorted to baton charge to disperse the assailants.

According to the police, two FIRs had been lodged at the said police station on behalf of the state.

It added that 80 suspects including the nine arrested were nominated in the case, while Rind was nominated as the key suspect for attacking the police station.

Sindh IG for crackdown on scrap dealers

Last week, Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said street crime and the sale and purchase of stolen goods were interconnected.

Addressing a meeting on the law and order situation, with a particular focus on street crime, the Sindh police top cop reviewed police actions against scrap dealers and those involved in buying and selling stolen goods, providing further instructions as needed.

The SSP of the Anti-Vehicles Lifting Cell had reported that 352 scrap dealers were checked, resulting in 79 arrests under 55 FIRs.

Investigations had revealed that drug addicts often exchanged stolen goods for money or drugs, or handed them over to drug mafias.

A systematic crackdown on scrap dealers had led to the recovery of significant amounts of stolen goods from warehouses. The meeting disclosed that much of the stolen iron ore from major government projects ended up with scrap dealers.