KARACHI: At least in seven years (2010-2016) the citizens of Karachi were deprived of their vehicles numbering to around 146,460 that were reported to administration.
Official data of Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) revealed that these include motorcycles, cars and other vehicles. CLPC data said the owners deprived of around 25,807 vehicles that were snatched and about 120,653 4 wheelers and 120,653 motorcycles were stolen.
In first seven month 2016, over 114 cars and 932 two wheelers were either snatched or stolen. The CPLC registered 6,373 cases and the total number of vehicles reported stolen lodged by civilians are said to be 146,460 vehicles.
In street crimes, mobile phones, cash and other valuables were snatched at gunpoint in different parts of city. The criminal activities increased during this period according to data. The officials said a total number of 44 gangs were involved in theft of vehicles in Karachi.
The stolen and snatched vehicles and motorcycle in Karachi were later shifted through 9 internal routes to Balochistan, interior Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern areas. The involved persons usually used highways for this purpose.
Local police and law enforcement agencies pointed out the persons from Afghanistan were also involved in these crimes. The militants, members of banned outfits and militant wings of political and religious organizations in Karachi were also among the involved elements in street crimes.
Police on the other hand was not utilising Close Circuit Television Cameras efficiently in order to identify the criminals. The political parties’ influence is an added factor in such crimes. It is said that police was using the snatched and stolen vehicles after giving treatment to change colors and other original marks of the vehicles.
CPLC Chief Zubair Habib agrees the reported number of mugging incidents is always much lower than the actual size of the crime as every victim does not report the incident. Karachi police Chief Mushtaq Ali Maher did not agree to the conclusion deduced from comparison of figures that the street crime witnessed sharp rise.
Despite set up of Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) some 25 years back, the incidents and recovery of all sort of vehicles was not improved. Even the theft and stolen incidents kept rising during this period.
It is alleged that some officials working in ACLC unit are involved in the theft and stolen incidents or are aware of the people involved but they kept their eyes shut and tight lips. Even some officials were found using such vehicles, but no one is there to dare into the matter to unearth this crime.
An ACLC official said that it was not possible to completely eliminate the theft and stealing of vehicles as the criminals were using latest techniques besides using technology.
Widening of city’s boundaries as well as flooding population and up country’s influx in the city can be attributed making the steps curbing the crime in horizontal way.
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