KARACHI, Nov 28: The trade and industry leaders have reported a fresh wave of street crimes in the industrial areas of this metropolis and appealed to the chief minister, DG Rangers, interior minister and IG Police to take notice of the situation.

“We are fast losing confidence on the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in arresting deteriorating law and order situation in industrial estates where a fresh wave of street crimes is driving business community to the wall”, an industrialist told Dawn on Monday.

The situation has deteriorated so much that armed miscreants often enter industrial units in daylight and after a holdup, which normally lasts for hours, leave with the booty at their will.

Trade and industry leaders lamented that the police had proven ineffective and at times it seemed criminals had institutionalised their operations and were better informed than LEAs.

There was a time when business community had to deal with criminal elements on roads on their way to their industrial establishments. “But now every day there is an incident of armed miscreants entering the industrial units and after a holdup go for loot including snatching of cellphones and cash from the staff,” they deplored.

All the leaders of the industrial estates including SITE Area, Korangi Industrial Area, Landhi, FB Area, North Karachi and SITE, etc., in a joint reminder on Monday asked Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to look into the matter.

They complained about the indifferent attitude of the police toward such incidents, which are hurting industrial activities in the business-hub of the country having far-reaching implication on the entire economy.

These leaders said that situation had become so bad that in daylight truck-load of finished goods were being hijacked and there was no trace of police, which seem to be collaborating with the criminals.

They were of firm opinion that party-based recruiting during the last decade had totally infected the police with criminals and anti-social elements and this is high time to scrutinise the police to purge such elements from the department.

They said many cases of extortions and snatching were not being reported due to fear of backlash from the criminals.

Engg M A Jabbar, former chairman SITE Association of Industry, said that SITE industrial area was plagued with encroachments which provide safe havens to criminals and all such activities were in full knowledge of police but it did not take action against such gangs, who are hampering industrial and economic activities in the city.

He said that an auto parts manufacturing unit at Metroville SITE was recently taken over by 10 heavily-armed criminals in the daylight. The miscreants deprived the staff of cellphones, laptops, computers and huge cash from the lockers and ransacked the offices.

He said in another incident Senior Vice-Chairman of Law and Order Committee of SITE Association Asad Nisar Burkhurdaria along with Vice-Chairman Junaid Muhammad Siddiq escaped an attempt on their lives. “Already some of industrials have been killed in the recent past but no concern is being shown at any level,” Jabbar lamented.