Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza has directed PPO Sindh to formulate a formal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the recovery of snatched/stolen cars and other vehicles and arrest of the accused involved. Under the SPO, he directed, as soon as a report is received at a police station about lifting or snatching of a car or motorcycle, the same should be immediately communicated to control rooms of other towns.
Therein, effective steps would be taken for the arrest of culprits, particularly in the town where that case occurs, besides keeping vigil on all other routes. He said that report of such vehicles should also be communicated to all the police stations in the interior of Sindh through VHF control, so that police are put on toes at district level as well.
He issued these directives while taking notice of various published newspaper reports in this regard according to which, some 22,000 vehicles were snatched/stolen during the last 10 months. The minister said that objective of having a SOP is to ensure the recovery of snatched/stolen vehicles and arrest of culprits, as it has come to the knowledge that such vehicles are used by anti-state elements for carrying out their heinous objectives.
The Home Minister also called for a report about such vehicles for the last 10 months from police at district and town levels, and said that police should take concrete measures for recovery of such vehicles and arrest of accused involved. He further directed the display of specified numberplates on vehicles and their issuance to newly registered vehicles as soon as the registration number is allotted. He ordered that no leniency be shown in the drive against fancy numberplates and unregistered vehicles.
He said that only well reputed, capable and experienced police officials and personnel be posted in anti-car lifting cell, while arrangements for surprise snap checking, police patrolling etc, be made in areas affected by snatching/lifting of vehicles. He also issued instructions for preparation of lists of those arrested on charges of lifting/snatching of vehicles and that later obtained bail from courts.