Search operation at Al-Asif Square: LEAs detain over 100 suspects, including 6 Afghans

The Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) conducted on Wednesday a long-awaited search operation at Al-Asif Square, Sohrab Goth, and detained over 100 suspects besides recovering huge cache of arms and ammunitions. Sources said over 50 vehicles of paramilitary rangers carrying hundreds of male and female personnel, policemen and sniffer dogs participated in the operation.
All entry and exit points of the area were cordoned off and no one was allowed to go in and out during the search operation. Sources claimed LEAs had detained some 100 suspects including six Afghans from Al-Asif Square. They said the suspects, who were blindfolded and their hands tied, were gathered at an open place for initial interrogation and later some 52 of them were shifted to unknown place while rest of them were released.
They said LEAs had also recovered 100 types of different weapons during the operation. The detained Afghans were also nominated in several robberies at Super Highway, sources claimed. Meanwhile, DSP Sohrab Goth Iftikhar Lodhi, who claimed to have participated in the search operation, said the detained persons and recovered weapons had not been handed over to Sindh police so far.
He said that a "target killer" namely Kashif Raza Abidi was also arrested in a separate raid at Gulshan Maymar. He claimed that the accused had confessed to have murdered two activists of MQM namely Shoaib Motta and Haris alias Khan. Meanwhile, CID police has claimed to have arrested two target killers in separate raids at various parts of the metropolis. One Rafiq Ranghar was arrested from Haryana colony sector 10 of Mominabad. A Kalashnikov was also recovered from his possession.
The accused Rafiq, who was also allegedly getting extortion from the area, was involved in the murders of two PPP activists Aamir Baloch and Waseem Baloch. The CID team arrested the second target killer namely Rehan, who was allegedly involved in several heinous crimes including firing on police van, robberies and kidnapping, from Hyderi area and recovered one Kalashnikov from him.
Similarly, five persons namely Muhammad Riaz, Shoaib, Asad, Rafiq and Nazeer Hussain were arrested within the limits of Ferer police station. Police claimed to have recovered several gold biscuits from the accused Shoaib and Asad, who were allegedly involved in Glass Tower robbery. One Kalashnikov, two TT pistols and a 7MM pistol were seized from other arrested persons.
Meanwhile, SP Sadder Town Naeem Sheikh at a press conference said that the police had arrested an alleged arms dealer namely Shahid and recovered two Kalashnikovs, eight repeaters, four triple-2 rifle, 45 other pistols, thousands of bullets of different bores and 45 license punching tools from his possession.
The Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) had also arrested two alleged Lyari gangsters namely Shahjahan and Munir, who were wanted in the killing of Muhammad Sharif, Noor Muhammad and Subhanaullah over their refusal to pay extortion, from Baldia Town. The accused persons, who were Baloch and affiliated with Lyari gang, confessed to have involved in several serious offences including extortions, drug peddling and kidnapping and killings. Similarly, New Karachi Industrial Area police also claimed to have arrested three persons namely Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Danish and Rasheed and recovered three TT pistols and several rounds from their possession.