More than 30 suspects were detained on Monday when Rangers carried out a search operation near the Old Sabzi Mandi area, officials said.
Rangers’ personnel started the door-to-door search operation early Monday morning in the PIB Colony neighbourhood near Old Sabzi Mandi. The operation was conducted on intelligence about the presence of suspected criminals and members of banned outfits in the neighbourhood.
A large contingent of security personnel cordoned off Eesa Nagri, Old Sabzi Mandi and surrounding areas during the operation, blocking all entry and exit routes.
The personnel – which also included female Rangers personnel – arrested 30 suspects during the five-hour-long operation, taking them to undisclosed locations for further interrogation.
The operation comes days after gunmen shot down four Rangers personnel in the Ittehad Town locality. The Rangers personnel were posted for security duty outside Madina Masjid when the attackers riding motorcycles gunned them down shortly before Friday prayers.
Law enforcers have intensified their crackdown against suspected criminals, target-killers and terrorists in the city since the attack targeting the paramilitary personnel.
On Sunday, Rangers said they had arrested six suspected terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during a raid in Ittehad Town neighbourhood of Baldia Town area.
The same day, law enforcement personnel detained at least 145 other suspects in search operations carried out in different parts of the city.
Meanwhile, Sindh Rangers on Monday informed the administrative judge of Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATC) about 90-day preventive detention of three suspects for questioning.
The personnel of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, along with their counsel, separately produced two political workers, Amir Ahmed alias Nukta and Abdul Ghaffar and a man affiliated with notorious Lyari gang war before ATC Administrative Judge Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto of Sindh High Court amid tight security.
According to the Rangers, they had credible information of suspect’s involvement in offences which came within the ambit of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The court allowed the paramilitary force to detain the suspects for 90 days for interrogation considering legal provision section 11EEEE (1) of ATA. The Rangers has the authority to detain the suspect for the period of three months for questioning under this Act. The production of the suspects with relevant documents was made in compliance with section 11EEEE (3) of ATA for information and record of the court.
