- Karachi police chief visits SITE Association of Industry.
- Assures industrialists of “serious” action against extortionists.
- Says rate of snatching vehicles reduced by 25%.
Additional Inspector General of Karachi Police Azad Khan on Monday revealed that gangsters based abroad were operating extortion network in the port city, the country’s economic hub.
During his visit to the office of the SITE Association of Industry, the additional IG Karachi assured industrialists that the police were taking extortion-related issues “seriously”.
The port city has witnessed a recent surge in extortion incidents, targeting builders and traders through international calls and attacks on their business premises, triggering panic and concern among the business community.
The additional IG Karachi confirmed that the port city has witnessed a fresh wave of extortion incidents over the past two weeks.
He said Interpol Red Notices had been issued against five gangsters, who had since scaled back their activities.
The Karachi police chief said that they had shared the phone numbers and other details of the foreign-based extortionists with the relevant countries for further action.
He said that the police had recently carried out an effective crackdown against the ‘Samad Kathiawari’ group.
“Extortionists are terrorising people; there is no concession on this,” he added.
The Karachi police chief said that the law enforcers made significant sacrifices to bring peace back to the city, vowing to maintain peace in the metropolis at all costs.
Azad Khan said that he was personally monitoring the situation.
The police officer said that Karachi’s economic security was of critical importance, warning that a weakening economy led to rising unemployment and crime.
The Karachi police chief said he had grown up in the city, adding: “This city owes us a debt.”
Seeking the industrialists’ support, he said that the Sindh police were also facing challenges, adding that his department would not be able to buy a new vehicle this year.
“When people see us working hard, they also help us,” said the Karachi police chief.
“There has been a 25% reduction in the rate of snatching of vehicles and motorcycles,” he said, adding that the rate of murders during robberies has also decreased.
He asserted that their efforts were yielding good results, but they wanted to improve further.
“We are trying our best to continue providing good services,” he added.
