Street crime claims another life in Karachi

KARACHI: Street criminals claim yet another life in Defense area of Karachi, ARY News reported.

According to the rescue sources, a man was shot dead during a robbery attempt on Defense’s 26th Street.

Eyewitnesses reported that the victim, identified as Muhammad Saeed, had withdrawn cash and was standing aside after noticing someone approaching.

The assailants, riding a motorcycle attempted to rob him, the deceased however opted to resist, as a result, the robbers fired 4-5 shots as they fled the scene of the crime.

A total number of 105 people have fallen victim to the rampant street crime in Karachi this year.

Similarly, on 24 Oct a man was gunned down by robbers during a mugging incident in the Ahsanabad area near the Site Superhighway.

The victim was returning home after selling his wife’s jewellery to finance his daughter’s treatment.

He received three bullets by the muggers who robbed him on the way. The robbers escaped after committing crime.

According to a report released by Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) in Aug Karachi witnessed a surge in street crime, with 5,960 incidents reported in the month alone.

The city saw a rise in street crime, including vehicle theft, with 23 cars stolen at gunpoint and 150 cars stolen.

Report stated that the motorcycles were also a target, with 656 stolen and 3385 reported stolen from various areas of the city.

Furthermore, robbers snatched 1737 mobile phones from citizens, while 3 cases of kidnapping for ransom and 6 cases of extortion were also reported.

Earlier on August 10, police reported that Karachi witnessed a staggering surge in street crimes, with over 44,000 incidents reported in just the first seven months of the year 2024.

The majority of the crimes involved the theft of motorcycles in the metropolis.

In the span of the first seven months of the current year, more than 31,000 motorcycles were either stolen or snatched from their owners, making them the most common target in these street crime incidents, while, over 11,800 mobile phones were snatched from citizens.

The data further revealed that around 1,200 cars were snatched from citizens during the same period, adding to the already high levels of insecurity among residents.

Despite the significant number of thefts, recovery rates remain low.Police reports indicate that only 1,500 motorcycles, 220 cars, and 120 mobile phones have been successfully recovered.