183 accused involved in extortion arrested

KARACHI: As many as 183 accused involved in extortion have been arrested by the Sindh Police.

An announcement to this effect was made in a statement issued here on Monday.

It said that owing to intelligence gathering and day-to-day targeted search against individuals/ groups involved in target killing and Bhatta Collection in Karachi from January 1, 2011 upto March 17, 2012, as many as 183 accused involved in Bhatta collection have been arrested by Sindh Police, whereas during the same period 37 accused have been arrested in target killing cases.

This was informed by DIGP, Headquarters Sindh Sardar Abdul Majeed at a presentation to the visiting delegation of 96th National Management Course at Central Police Office here on Monday.

The delegation was led by Chief Instructor, NMC Shafiq Hussain Bukhari.

The briefing was presided over by Additional Inspector General Police, Sindh Falak Khursheed and attended by the senior officers of Sindh Police.

DIGP, Headquarters highlighted the measures adopted to counter extortion incidents in the province especially in Karachi.

He said that under the directives of Inspector General of Police Sindh, Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, all Police pickets in the market areas have been manned and some 800 extra policemen provided to the identified affected Police Station.

He added that an Anti-Extortion Cell has also been established in SIU whereas coordination committees at Police Station level with the representatives of concerned Traders Associations, being constituted under Community police concept.

DIGP further informed that surveillance cameras are also being installed in commercial centres/ trade areas besides have reactivated Madadgar 15 centres at fifteen different location in Karachi.

The delegation was also briefed about the achievements in fighting terrorism.

According to report, during the 2011-2012, 13 terrorists were killed and 124 militants affiliated with different terrorist/ extremist organization arrested.