3 suspects including senior police officer held for 'robbery' at pan shop

KARACHI: Police arrested three suspects including Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Zafar Javed and his son on charges of robbing a pan shop in in Karachi.

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Arif Aslam told the media that three suspects including a senior police officer and his son were nabbed following a robbery at the pan shop in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area late Wednesday night.

A case was registered over complaint of the shop owner Shahzeb. The police van used in the crime was also seized.

CCTV footage of the incident showed at least three men including two covering their faces with masks came out of a police van and stormed a pan shop. They threatened the shopkeeper and later forcibly jumped into the shop premises to snatch the products and cash.

SSP Aslam confirmed that the police van used in the robbery belongs to DSP Zafar. He added that all suspects who appeared in the footage were being identified.

According to the police, the DSP’s son and his friends were found involved in the crime after initial probe. The police added that efforts are underway to arrest other accomplices.

The crime rate in the port city has gone out of control as at least 71 people have been shot dead by robbers in the first five months of 2024.

According to a report regarding Karachi crime in April, 6,780 street crime incidents took place in Karachi in one month, while 20 vehicles were snatched and more than 130 others stolen.

The report also stated that 830 motorcycles were snatched and 4,200 others stolen during Ramazan, whereas the number of mobile phones snatched was 1,600.

Following a sharp increase in street crimes, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah issued directives to the police to boost security and monitoring in Karachi and to ensure that people’s lives and properties are protected.