KARACHI, Sept 23: The recent arrest of suspects in other provinces allegedly involved in killings and extortion incidents in Sindh have set alarms bells ringing for the security administration authorities, who believe that the suspects may run away to foreign countries amid the ongoing ‘operation’ against criminals.

Keeping in view this possibility, the Sindh government has sought assistance from the federal government to prevent these criminals from crossing the border, it emerged on Monday.

Apart from its recent contacts with the federal interior ministry and the high-ups of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Sindh government has also approached the Balochistan authorities — where a number suspects allegedly involved in crimes in Karachi were arrested in recent raids — for their cooperation in making the ongoing ‘operation’ against criminals a success.

“History suggests that criminals, mainly those having political associations, try to escape from the country whenever state machinery moves against them,” said an official privy to the developments.

“Most of them succeed due to various reasons that include connivance of officials within certain institutions. So the Sindh government only wants effective checks by the FIA and other institutions on all those suspects wanted in criminal cases in Karachi.”

The official said that the Sindh government wanted coordinated efforts in that regard and was willing to offer assistance the federal agency required for effective check on and surveillance of all sources and routes of crossing the border.

The Sindh government move also echoed in a report it submitted to the Supreme Court last week. The report titled “steps taken to improve law and order situation in compliance of the orders of honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan passed on August 30, 2013” filed by the chief secretary briefly hinted at the measures on these lines.

“The chief secretary of Sindh made a reference to the ministry of interior and the FIA apprising them of the escape of criminal elements abroad or to other provinces after committing crime,” said the report.“It has been requested to facilitate the government of Sindh by devising a mechanism to forestall the fleeing criminals abroad and into other provinces from Karachi.”

Days after the ‘operation’ launched in Karachi mainly against the targeted killings, growing extortion threats and kidnapping for ransom complaints, the law-enforcement agencies in other provinces arrested a number of suspects, who according to them, had left the city after the Rangers-led crackdown on criminals.

Last week in Lahore, the personnel of an intelligence agency picked up two people who were with a woman member of the Sindh Assembly in a car on The Mall.

One of the men was said to be a Lyari gang leader, Amin Buledi, who was later handed over to the Karachi police.

The very next day, 14 suspects of targeted killings, extortion and robberies were arrested in Murree, who later disclosed that they had left the city two weeks ago when the Rangers along with the police launched an ‘operation’ in the city. All 14 suspects were associated with a political party.

Later 10 suspects were arrested by the Frontier Constabulary in the Hub industrial area of Balochistan.

The officials said that the suspects arrested for their involvement in Lyari gang warfare had taken refuge in Hub after the Rangers and the police launched the targeted operation against criminals in Karachi.

“On the advice of the security administration and the law-enforcement agencies, the Sindh government has also made liaison with the Balochistan government,” said the official. “

In this regard, a meeting of Sindh home department officials was held with the secretary of home and tribal affairs of Balochistan to discuss construction of police posts and enhance police patrolling in the border areas of Sindh and Balochistan to check the movement of criminal elements.”