Pakistan Rangers Sindh in a statement issued on Tuesday said some “extremist and anti-state elements are engaged in a conspiracy to destabilise the security situation in Karachi” and that certain elements working in conjunction with “anti-state armed groups” are “panicking” in light of gains made by the operation being conducted in Karachi.
The statement by the paramilitary force also said that anti-state elements are using certain high-profile personalities to try and mislead the masses, and that such a conspiracy is against the people and state of Pakistan.
Rangers requested the people and the media to verify all information from the force’s representative, asking them not to believe rumours that have recently been make rounds.
The ‘operation’ against criminal elements in Pakistan’s commercial hub was initiated back in September 2013 after the federal cabinet empowered Rangers to lead a targeted advance with the support of police against criminals already identified by federal military and civilian agencies for their alleged involvement in targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism in Karachi.
According to the recently compiled figures, since September 5, 2013, the paramilitary force has conducted some 5,795 operations and apprehended 10,353 suspects that ranged from street criminals to terrorists.
“During these operations, the Rangers recovered some 7,312 weapons of different caliber,” said a source citing details of the figures. “Among the arrested persons, 826 are terrorists, 334 hit men, 296 extortionists and 82 are kidnappers. Of the arrested suspects, 4,950 have already been handed over to the police for further investigation and legal process,” the source added.
The Sindh government had extended, on July 9, the special policing powers assigned to Rangers in the province for a month, which were later extended for a year on July 17.
RANGERS ARREST EXTORTIONIST COUPLE FROM LYARI
Rangers said on Tuesday that they had arrested a woman after catching her red handed collecting extortion money in Lyari.
According to a statement by Sindh Rangers, a complaint was received at Rangers Special Task Cell about calls from extortionists in Lyari who were demanding Rs 0.5 million from a local trader. The Rangers personnel laid a trap, asking the traders to tell the extortionist to collect the ransom money from a designated spot. When a woman showed up to collect the money, the Rangers arrested her.
She later confessed that she collected the money for a notorious extortionist Imran alias Kawwa, adding that she had collected money from three different individuals so far. On the basis of information provided by the woman, Rangers managed to apprehend her accomplice. The accomplice turned out to be the woman’s husband.
Earlier on Monday, police claimed to have arrested a South Africa-based gang allegedly involved in extortion and killings of doctors in Karachi.
