LAHORE (APP) - Shahdara Police on Thursday claimed to have smashed an inter-provincial swindlers gang and arrested its six members, including the ring leader, and recovered Rs 1.2 million, mobile phones besides illegal weapons. During preliminary investigation, gangsters confessed to 55 incidents committed in different areas of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Peshawar and Karachi. A special police team led by SPO Shahdara Riaz Shah conducted a raid at a house in Shahdara area where criminals were present. On seeing police team, outlaws opened firing on them, police also returned fire and arrested criminals. Modus operandi of the accused was that criminals looted retired officers and industrialists in different tactics. The arrested were Arshad Shah alias Triple Shah and his five accomplices Ajmal Shah, Akmal Shah, Akbar Shah, Shabir Shan and Hassan. DIG Operations Lahore has announced cash and commendatory awards for the raiding team. WIRE TAKEN?AWAY: Nine armed dacoits looted several coils of copper wire worth Rs 4.5 million and other valuables from a Steel Furnace Manufacturing Factory, Nain Sukh Suggian road, Factory area in the wee hours of Thursday. Police said that the bandits entered the factory and made hostage the three guards with their families at gun point and snatched keys of stores and work stations. They also tortured the guards. They collected the copper wire and other valuables including mobile phones and managed to escape. The owners of Pak Therm Pvt Salahuddin and Faisal Shahbaz talking to APP alleged that police did not cooperate and FIR for under dacoity offence was not being registered even after the second day of the incident. They urged the police high ups to arrest the accused and recover the looted copper wire and other valuables as earlier as possible. SHO Factory area said that police received application about the incident and started investigation, and added that FIR would be registered after verification and other formalities.