Pakistan likely to become world leader!

[LRE]

Pakistan likely to become world leader!



Rs18 billion worth of cars stolen in 18 months

Monday, August 18, 2008
Shakeel Anjum

Islamabad

Pakistan may have become the world leader in stolen car business with the estimated turnover in just 18 months touching over Rs18 billion, or a billion a month, a report submitted to the Ministry of Interior has revealed.

According to the report, 14,037 vehicles worth Rs7 billion were stolen or snatched countrywide during the first half of 2008 while 23,144 vehicles worth Rs11 billion were stolen or snatched during 2007.

Contrary to all the claims of the government authorities and police, this particular crime is on the rise with clear indications that police and the vehicles registration offices are part of the mafia.

The mafia chiefs, involved in this particular crime, are known to the police and so are their dens, mostly in the NWFP but no one dares to take them to justice.

The police of all the four provinces and Islamabad are seen equally responsible for the rise in such heinous street crime. An upswing of 26.56 per cent in vehicle thefts and snatching incidents was recorded from January 1 to June 30.

The statistics showed a drastic increase of 61.68 per cent in vehicle theft cases in Sindh, which shot up from 3,317 during the first six months of 2007 to 5,363 in the same period in 2008.

Punjab had the highest number of vehicle lifting incidents, as 7,432 vehicles were taken away in the first six months of 2008 and 6,801 in the same period of 2007.

In NWFP, the figures remained low and 341 vehicles were stolen from Jan 1 to June 30, 2008 as compared to 329 in the same period in 2007.

In Balochistan, 404 vehicles were stolen or snatched in the same period in 2008 as compared to 315 in 2007. Whereas, 12 vehicles were taken away from the jurisdiction of Railways Police in 2008 as compared to 8 in same period in 2007.

A huge 49.07 per cent increase of the crime was seen in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as 401 vehicles were lifted during first two quarters of 2008 as compared to 269 during the same period in 2007.

A professional car lifter, on condition of anonymity, told ‘The News’ in a short interview that bigwigs including police officers, bureaucracy and top politicians were directly involved in the lucrative business and they looked after the interests of the mafia.

“I enjoy my job,” the daring car lifter said, adding, his job was very easy but also hard and risky. “I earn hundreds of thousands for a 3 to 4-minute effort,” the carjacker said, claiming, “I can lift at least three vehicles in a day.”

“Toyota Corolla, Honda, Suzuki Mehran, Alto are favourite vehicles to steal but we follow the demand of the receivers,” he said, responding to a question.

“Motorway is the safest way to take the stolen vehicles to Peshawar and Mardan,” he said.

The carjacker said, “Peshawar, Hazara and Mardan Divisions are havens for carjackers.”

Inspector Asjad Mehmood, an investigator of Islamabad Police, when contacted told this scribe that most of the carjackers belonged to Abbottabad, Mansehra, Swabi, Nowshera and Mardan. While, the biggest carjacking mafia chiefs were based in Hazara and Mardan Divisions.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=130625