Stolen cars recovered from civil servant’s house

[LahoreEstate]

By Mateen Kaul

LAHORE: Police are looking for a civil servant after seven stolen cars were found parked inside his house near Nabi Park in the Ravi Road area on Friday night.

The recovered vehicles include two with Karachi number plates and at least three that were stolen from within the neighbourhood, Investigation Officer Akhtar Majeed Bhatti of Ravi Road Police Station told Daily Times.

Syed Mazhar Hussain Shah, district officer (coordination) of Sheikhupura, his sons Ibn-e-Hasan and Ibn-e-Ali, Rana Shahid and Azeem have been named as the accused in an FIR for stolen cars, the officer said. The wife of the accused told police she had not seen her husband since Friday morning.

Initial media reports erroneously claimed that the cars were recovered from the house of a former director general of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, he said. A local resident whose family’s car was among those stolen led police to the bust. Sheikh Danish said his brother-in-law’s car was taken from outside his house a week ago (June 20), and a friend later told him he had seen the missing white Suzuki Cultus parked in a large property near Nabi Park.

Danish said he had asked the local police station to raid the house, but had been ignored. He then managed, through connections, to inform the capital city police officer (CCPO), who ordered the bust.

Even then, the police were slow and reluctant to seize the stolen cars, Danish said, because members of the household in Nabi Park had boasted that the owner was the anti-corruption DG. He said the number plates on his car had been switched, but he was able to confirm it was his through the engine and chassis numbers. He said his neighbour Sheikh Tariq’s Suzuki Mehran, stolen two years ago, and an Alto stolen from Ravi Road had also been recovered.

Car thieves arrested: Police have busted a gang responsible for stealing up to 50 cars in Lahore, according to a handout issued by the office of the CCPO.

Ringleader ‘Enforance Peter’ alias Asif, Nazakat Ali, Ghazanfar Shah alias Pappu and Rustam Ali have been arrested and other members of the gang are on the run, said the handout. Six stolen cars, three guns and ammunition were seized. The CCPO announced cash prizes and certificates for the police raiding team.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_3