KARACHI - Enraged shopkeepers staged a protest against a spate of robberies at Jewellery Market in Landhi area here on Monday. It is to be noted that armed bandits looted around 1100 grams of gold, worth amounting to Rs3.5 million and managed to flee from the scene. The incident took place in the Jewellery Market located in Babar Market in the remit of Landhi Police. As many 2,200 shops are located in the Babar Market and around 12 watchmen are tasked with providing security alone in the nightshift. However, at least 225 shops of jewellery are placed in Jewellery market within the premises of Babar Market where only one watchman perform security duty during night time. According to a watchman, some eight armed bandits, riding in a white colour car arrived at ht market. Two of the culprits bound him hand and foot and started cutting off locks of the four shops. He said that after the efforts of 45 minutes, they succeeded in breaking into the shops. The looted the shops and managed to flee from the scene, he added. The incident surfaced in the morning when the shopkeepers arrived at the market and found the watchman tied with rope. Scores of shopkeepers and owners gathered and staged a protest against the law-enforcement agencies. They pelted stones on the passing vehicles and burnt tyres on the road, blocking the vehicular traffic for hours. Meanwhile, the enraged protestors also attacked the Landhi Police Station with stones and besieged the building. Later, a large number of police personnel tear gased and baton charged the protestors to disperse them. Following the incident, Karachi Jewellers Alliance President Haroon Chand also arrived at the scene. Later, a delegation led by Chand met the East Zone DIG and other officials where they blamed the police for their failure to stop robberies in the area. It is to be mentioned here that at least two more shops were broke into in Landhi No 6 within the limits of Awami Colony Police on Monday wherein the shopkeepers also staged a protest.