35 dacoits loot Rs 50m valuables

LAHORE - As many as 35 dacoits, all equipped with lethal arms, took away cash, carpets, jewellery and other valuables worth over Rs 50 million from a warehouse at gun-point.

The dacoits continued looting spree after gagging the house-owner lady and her two employees with ropes.

The robbers also tortured the inmates including the owner of the warehouse Shamshad Shahjahan when they offered resistance. The gangsters took away carpets on a truck four times, a source disclosed , adding, that that later they intoxicated the inmates.

Police said that the woman Shamshad and her husband Zubair were running the warehouse with the trademark 'Best Oriental Rugs Corporation'.

They used to export consignments of carpets abroad. The looted consignment, comprising 1,900 carpet rolls, was to export within next a few days, police said.

The dacoits entered the 29-C Davis Road warehouse late night on Saturday and bundled the carpets in the truck, police said , adding, that they took away 1,900 carpet rolls in four turns.

The intruders completed their task early morning on Sunday.

After completing their target, the dacoits went upper portion of the storey where the lady was residing. They also collected cash, gold ornaments and other valuables from the upper story. A gunman Shah Muhammad and driver Zubair were present at the warehouse besides the lady while her husband Zubair was outside the City for business purpose.

The neighbours informed the local police about the incident when they found the landlady and her employees went missing till noon on Sunday. Police rushed to the spot and entered the building by breaking locks of the main gate. Police later found all the three inmates tied with ropes and lying unconscious. They all three were rushed to  Services Hospital.

A police official claimed that the most of the house articles and business of the warehouse of the landlady was under insurance cover and police was also investigating the dacoity incident on these lines.

The dacoity took place in the jurisdiction of Racecourse police, which exposed the Civil Line police Division's inefficiency and claims of providing security.

The mysterious movement of around 35 well equipped dacoits was reported in the area where Governor's House, Chief Minister Secretariat, Punjab Assembly and other important buildings were situated on some distance.

Police registered a case against unknown dacoits but no arrest has so far been made.