KARACHI, Nov 30: The Anti-Car Lifting Unit (ACLU) has busted an inter-provincial gang by arresting its seven members and recovering two vehicles from their possession, SSP Khurram Waris told a press conference here on Friday.

He said that an ACLU team led by Inspector Irfan Zaman tried to intercept a suspected mini-truck at Do Minute Chowrangi in New Karachi after receiving a tip-off. Instead of responding positively to the team, occupants of the vehicle opened fire, he said, adding that an encounter ensued after which the gangsters surrendered to the ACLU team. He identified them as Mohammad Ismail, Shahzad, Dad Jumani, Riaz Ahmed, Ghulam Rasool alias Shakil, Amin alias Anwer and Karim Buksh. The gangsters, along with their vehicles, were detained.

The SSP said that during the interrogation, the detainees revealed they were members of an inter-provincial gang and were involved in stealing and snatching of vehicles and disposing of them. They also admitted to having hijacked an oil-tanker carrying 50,000 litre petrol in Manghopir area while it was on its way towards a PAF base on Sharea Faisal. The oil-tanker was recovered accordingly, the SSP said.

“We hope for some significant leads in the course of further investigations,” he said, describing the gang as a well-organised and highly professional group.

He claimed that the gangsters in custody were wanted in several cases registered by the Maghopir and Site police stations, besides some others in the Sindh interior.

Initial interrogation suggested that the gang, operated by some influential figures of the Sindh interior, had been disposing of snatched or stolen vehicles in Balochistan through their contacts, identified as Babu Bugti and Sonu Bhagio.