ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police had an early morning encounter with the notorious interprovincial car-lifting gang. During the shootout, three gang members were killed by their own accomplices’ gunfire.
The police had been chasing this notorious gang for the last two months, collecting information through Safe City cameras and human sources. A route was planned for their movements, and sources informed the police that the gang was heading towards Murree.
Based on this information, teams from AVLC, CRT, and ATS set up special checkpoints in various areas. This morning, at the Kashmir Chowk checkpoint, police teams attempted to stop their vehicles coming from Murree Road.
The accused were travelling in two cars, a GLI and a Honda Civic. The gang members in the cars suddenly started firing at the police teams. The gunfire from the GLI car killed three of their own gang members. The police team remained safe under self-defence.
A woman was also injured during the firing. Meanwhile, the accused who fired from the GLI car managed to escape. The police immediately shifted the bodies and the injured to the hospital. The deceased were identified as Ilyas Khan from Charsadda and Waqas Khan from Charsadda, with the identification of one body still ongoing.
The injured woman was identified as Haseeba Amjad. The deceased Ilyas Khan was the leader of the notorious car-lifting gang, while the others were gang members.
The accused had stolen a car from Murree last night and were fleeing. The other car, a Honda Civic, was also stolen from Lahore. Police recovered multiple unregistered number plates, jammers, mobilizers, ignition breakers, an SMG gun, and pistols from the car.
Upon receiving the information of the incident, a large contingent of police force arrived at the scene and dispatched various teams to arrest the fleeing accused. Multiple cases registered against the accused in different districts.
The DIG Islamabad Syed Ali Raza said that, Allah granted Islamabad Police a significant success. This was a notorious interprovincial gang involved in car thefts across different districts and direct attacks on law enforcement department officials.
He added that they had been receiving real-time information about the gang from human sources. A team in Charsadda was also tracking the gang, and it was reported that the gang had come to Islamabad and Murree for other car lifting activities.
With complete tracking, the police reviewed their routes and set up checkpoints accordingly. In the morning, the gang was heading from Murree to Islamabad after committing a theft. The police were fully prepared to ensure their arrest.
As soon as the gang reached near Kashmir Chowk, they started firing upon seeing the police and began driving the car in the wrong direction. The accused in one car managed to escape, while those in the other car were killed by their own accomplices’ gunfire.
He further emphasized that protecting the lives and property of citizens is the primary responsibility of Islamabad Police, and no elements will be allowed to harm citizens’ lives and property.