Over Rs. 22 Crore in Cash and Valuables Were Stolen From Islamabad in July 2023

The capital city witnessed a staggering 1,151 instances of looting, resulting in the theft of cash and valuables worth a minimum of Rs. 221 million throughout July. Reports revealed that the local police registered 275 cases of robberies, 156 snatchings, 104 burglaries, 207 thefts, 55 vehicle thefts, and 354 cases of auto theft.

According to the reports, the loot included an array of items, such as gold ornaments weighing a total of 340.5 tolas, 59 vehicles, 432 motorcycles, 599 mobile phones, and 36 laptops. The criminal activity escalated to fatal incidents, with robbers claiming two lives, including a police constable, in separate robbery incidents. Additionally, 11 people sustained injuries in 10 other robbery-related incidents.

Among the recorded crimes were 10 house robberies, five incidents at commercial centers, and 248 street robberies. The total losses in robbery cases alone amounted to Rs. 29,356,407 along with 57 tola gold, two vehicles, 67 motorcycles, and 308 mobile phones, as well as various other items. The Rural Zone was hardest hit by these occurrences, tallying 79 robberies, followed by 75 in Saddar, 58 in the Industrial Area, 34 in the city, and 29 in Soan.

Snatching incidents numbered 156, resulting in the theft of cash and valuables worth Rs. 3,317,304, as well as a vehicle, four motorcycles, and 145 mobile phones. The majority of these incidents occurred on roads, but some took place under the disguise of official authority, or even involved police officials. The distribution was uneven, with 71 snatchings in the Rural Zone, 31 in the Industrial Area, 27 in Saddar, 21 in the City, and six in Soan.

House burglaries and commercial center thefts amounted to 88 and 16, respectively. These incidents resulted in losses of Rs. 77,039,538, 117 tola gold ornaments, a vehicle, three motorcycles, 40 mobiles, and other valuables. The occurrences were concentrated in the Rural Zone (37), Soan (32), Industrial Area (17), Saddar (11), and the City Zone (7).

A total of 207 thefts were recorded, with 60 in the Rural Zone, 50 in the City Zone, 38 in Saddar, 32 in Soan, and 27 in the Industrial Area. In addition, 55 vehicles and 354 motorcycles were stolen. The City Zone bore the brunt of vehicle thefts (24), followed by the Industrial Area (17), Saddar (6), Rural Zone (5), and Soan (3). Motorcycle thefts also followed a similar pattern, with 120 in the City Zone, 88 in Rural, 65 in Saddar, 41 in the Industrial Area, and 40 in Soan.

The gravity of the situation was underscored by the fact that 59 vehicles and 432 motorcycles were either snatched or stolen, while 599 mobile phones were looted, snatched, or stolen.

Despite the alarming surge in criminal activity, efforts to obtain comments from the Police Public Relations Branch and the police spokesperson proved futile, as per reports.

Authorities remained tight-lipped about the rise in crime and the total value of looted and stolen items during the month.

Source: Pro Pakistani