Islamabad-Islamabad police arrested 4,450 alleged criminals and recovered valuables worth more than Rs400 million during the year 2017.
A total of 234 criminal gangs were busted, 289 stolen vehicles and 122 motorbikes were recovered while 851 proclaimed offenders were also held, annual crime data of the capital city revealed.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Sajid Kiani said that the police remained firm against activities of mischievous elements and emerged successful in 2017 in countering murderers, drug-pushers, robbers and criminal gangs.
He said that 620 gangsters of 234 gangs were apprehended during the year, adding that safe city project proved helpful in checking the crime as 608 cases were traced through it during 2017.
A total of 90 murders and 14 robbery incidents were reported in 2017. A total of 272 cases of street crime and snatching valuables were reported in the year as compared to 280 in 2016. As many as 73 burglary cases and 315 theft cases were also reported in the year.
According to the police, significant reduction of 46 per cent was witnessed in car-lifting incidents as 148 vehicles were lifted in 2017 as compared to 249 in 2016. The police traced 15 cases of blind murders in 2017, and 23 accused involved in these cases were also arrested. The police also said that 207 search operations were conducted in various areas of Islamabad along with law enforcement agencies and 2,033 suspects were shifted to various police stations for further investigation. Of them, 1,336 were allowed to go after verification while challans of the remaining 697 persons were submitted in the courts.
The police took action against 3,510 professional alms-seekers, registered 716 cases against 751 persons for possessing illegal weapons and recovered 81 Kalashnikovs/rifles, 69 carbines, 582 pistols/revolvers, one machine gun, 40 daggers and 7,133 rounds from them during the period. A total of 997 persons were held for having narcotics and liquor while 880 cases were registered against them besides recovery of over 400 kilograms of hashish, over 86 kilograms of heroin, over 21 kilograms of opium and 29,862 wine bottles. During the period, the police launched crackdown against those supplying drugs in educational institutions and nabbed 68 drug pushers. The police recovered about 40 kilograms of hashish, 7,287 grams of heroin, 380 grams of opium, wine, ice and tranquilisers from them.
Hoping that the life and property of the residents will be safer and secure in the year 2018, the SSP Sajid Kiani said that reporting rooms of Islamabad police stations had been upgraded and trained as well as educated staff had been appointed there. The staffers have the responsibility to listen to the complaints of the citizens and address them. Likewise, he said, police pickets have been upgraded while security at entry and exit points of the city has been enhanced.
A comprehensive security plan has been chalked out for the city and halting points have been created for effective checking, the SSP maintained. He said that friendly police ecology was their top priority and citizens as well as conciliatory committees had been made functional at police stations.
He said that human rights officers had been appointed at police stations to ensure protection of the rights of all segments of the society.