Three members of car snatchers’ gang killed in encounter

Islamabad:Three gangsters involved in car theft and snatching were killed in an encounter at Kashmir Chowk, which falls under the jurisdiction of Islamabad’s Secretariat Police Station. Additionally, a female member of the gang was wounded and taken to a hospital. The encounter occurred when the car, carrying four people, was entering Islamabad from Murree in the early hours of Sunday.

The gang was from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and hailed from Charsadda, according to the police. A large number of police forces, including the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC), the ARU, and local police, reached the scene and cordoned off the exit points of Islamabad to intercept a second car that had escaped from the scene. The AVLC officials stated that they had been tracking the gang for over two months. They gathered information about the gang's movements through Safe City cameras and human sources.

Finally, the AVLC traced the movement of the gang and prepared a route map based on their journey from Murree using their specific route. Police teams set up special checkpoints in various areas and deployed forces. When the gang appeared on the road and the police signalled them to stop, they opened fire at the police party, resulting in the encounter at Kashmir Chowk checkpoint. Three gangsters were killed, and one woman sustained bullet injuries.

The police identified the deceased as Alyas Khan, Waqas Khan, and an unidentified third individual. The injured woman was recognised as Hasiba Amjad. Police investigators stated that Alyas Khan was the leader of the inter-provincial car theft gang. They added that the gang had stolen a car from Murree and was fleeing. Additionally, a second car, a Honda Civic, was snatched from Lahore. The Police recovered multiple number plates, jammers, mobile phones, an ignition breaker, an SMG gun, and pistols from the Honda Civic.

Police teams have been dispatched to trace the second car and to arrest the fleeing gang members. The officials engaged in the inves­tigation of the case mentioned that the gang members were wanted in multiple cases by the police. A police officer in charge of the operation by the Islamabad Police stated that the operation was a result of continuous efforts by the police to combat criminal activities.