Son of CM's aide 'involved' in arms smuggling, alleges JIT

JACOBABAD: A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed to probe arms smuggling to Katcha area (riverine area) dacoits, revealed the involvement of the son of a Sindh cabinet member, ARY News reported.

According to a JIT report available with ARY News, Altaf Bhayo, the son of Sindh CM adviser on Forest and Wildlife Babal Khan Bhayo, was in contact with the suspects arrested while transporting the weapons to Katcha area dacoits.

The JIT’s report revealed that Altaf Bhayo provided the mobile van of his father’s security protocol to the suspects.

“The police mobile van was provided to the smugglers on their wish,” the JIT report added.

The JIT also revealed that Mehboob Bhayo, another relative of Babal Khan Bhayo, provided Rs 400,000 to the suspects to purchase the weapons.

The JIT report said that one Ishtiaq Lashari is the key member of the gang involved in smuggling weapons to the Katcha area dacoits.

Sindh police foiled an attempt to smuggle arms to Katcha area dacoits and arrested seven individuals including three policemen allegedly involved in the offense in Shikarpur on April 19.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon formed a JIT headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Larkana and tasked it to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

The police spokesperson said that thousands of bullets and two Kalashnikovs were recovered from the possession of the arrested individuals during the operation.

The spokesperson asserted that the consignment of arms was being smuggled from Balochistan to Shikarpur in the police mobile which was assigned to the security of the CM Adviser.

Read More: IGP forms JIT to probe arms smuggling to Katcha area dacoits

The case was registered at Jacobabad’s Moladad police with Inspector Ishtiaq Ahmed as complainant against four arms smugglers, one ASI and two other policemen under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Those nominated in the case included smuggling suspects Ikhtiar Ahmed Lashari, Nabeel Ahmed Bhayo, Taufiq Ahmed Gujjar and Zakir Hussain Bhayo.

Police ASI Imtiaz Ahmed Bhayo and constables Sanaullah Manganhar and Baqaullah Unnar have been nominated in the case to provide escort to the smugglers’ vehicle.

Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah had also accepted the resignation of his adviser on Forest and Wildlife Babal Khan Bhayo over the Katcha area controversy.

Babal Khan Bhayo stepped down from the post for a ‘transparent inquiry’ after being named into the case.

In a statement, Babal Khan Bhayo also asked the Sindh government to conduct an impartial investigation and make its report public