CCTV exposes Lahore police employee involved in petrol pump robbery

LAHORE: A police department employee has been booked for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery, after CCTV footage clearly captured the incident, officials confirmed on Sunday.

According to Patoki police, the suspect, identified as Asim Yaqub, works as a sanitary worker at the DIG Office Lahore. He, along with an accomplice, carried out a robbery at a petrol pump in Kasur’s Saddar Patoki area.

Police said the CCTV footage of the robbery shows the suspects arriving at the petrol pump, brandishing weapons, and snatching Rs 55,000 from the staff. The suspects also got their vehicle refueled during the hold-up. The CCTV visuals further reveal the suspects trying to flee the scene in haste.

While escaping, the suspects’ car collided with another vehicle — an accident also captured in CCTV recordings, according to police. This crash allowed staff and locals to intervene.

Following the accident, the petrol pump administration detained the police employee, who was later handed over to law enforcement. The accomplice managed to escape.

Police said several different vehicle number plates were also recovered from the suspects’ car. Investigators added that CCTV evidence is being used as the primary lead in the case.

A robbery case has been registered against both suspects at Saddar Patoki Police Station.

Earlier, CCTV footage of a police encounter with armed robbers on Karachi’s Shaheed-e-Millat Road had surfaced, showing dramatic moments as police officers attempted to stop three men on a motorcycle..

According to Karachi police, the suspects opened fire instead of stopping, prompting law enforcement officials to return fire. The CCTV footage captured the exchange of gunfire that left one suspect dead and two others injured before being arrested.

Police said weapons, cash, and a motorcycle were recovered from the suspects following the Karachi encounter. The deceased robber has been identified as Umar, while the injured suspects were named Irfan Ali and Rashid Ali, according to Karachi police officials.

Authorities added that the CCTV footage will be used as evidence to aid further investigation into the gang’s criminal activities in Karachi.