LAHORE - Model Town police on Wednesday claimed to have smashed a gang of most-wanted cargo criminals by arresting its four members involved in armed robberies in several factories and industrial units in the suburb of Lahore.
“We have recovered auto spare parts and industrial goods worth Rs30 million from their possession. This is a big achievement of the Lahore police since the criminals were costing industry millions,” superintendent of police Tariq Aziz told reporters while addressing a news conference at his Model Town office on Wednesday.
The arrested members of Pathan gang were produced before the media and identified as Nazir Ahmed, Abdul Rahman, Jan Wali Khan, and Zarshad Khan.
“During preliminary interrogation, the bandits have confessed to several incidents of armed robberies which they had committed in factories,” says police officer Tariq.
The modern-day highway robbers are costing industry billions as the mills and factories are the prime target for cargo robbers. Cargo crime – where consumer goods are snatched in transit – has risen dramatically in the industrial zones across the Punjab province.
The police officer said that raids are underway to capture the other members of this gang who are still at large and the police are expecting more recovery of the looted valuables.
According to the SP, Lahore (Operations) police chief DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar had ordered the police to constitute a special police team to hunt down the criminals involved in armed robberies in the mills and factories.  A police team headed by SHO Kahna police station Inspector Faisal Sharif collected particulars of Pathan gang, which had committed armed robbery in the Senior Auto-Mobile limited factory located in Kahna police limits.
The police team conducted raids in various parts of the provincial metropolis and arrested four members of the gang. The police team also recovered auto-spare worth Rs30 million, motorcycles, mobile phones, and illegal weapons from their possession. Further investigation is underway.