Over Rs200 million looted in Karachi as employee drives off with cash van

Published August 11, 2021
The police have registered a case against the driver and launched an investigation into the alleged robbery. — AFP/File
The police have registered a case against the driver and launched an investigation into the alleged robbery. — AFP/File

A driver allegedly looted more than Rs200 million from a cash van of a security company on Karachi's main I.I. Chundrigar Road, it emerged on Wednesday, as police said they were probing the "unusual" incident from different aspects.

Mithadar police’s Special Investigation Officer (SIO) Chaudhry Tariq said the driver of the van was involved in looting the huge cash amount on August 9. The officer said police were investigating the case from different angles, but did not elaborate.

The officer admitted that no concrete progress had been made in the case so far and efforts were still underway to arrest the driver.

According to the first information report (FIR) lodged by a regional operations manager of the security company, Shoaib Sheikh, the cash van was transporting over Rs200m from Tariq Road to the State Bank of Pakistan located on I.I. Chundrigar Road, the "Pakistani Wall Street".

The company's guard, Mohammed Saleem, went inside the bank to take the receipt. When he returned, he saw that the cash van was no longer parked outside. He called the van driver, Husain Shah, who initially informed him that he would come back within a short time, according to the contents of the FIR.

However, when the guard called again, the driver had switched off his cell phone. The van was traced and found on Queen’s Road through the company's tracking system. During inspection, it was found that along with the cash, the weapons, a camera and a DVR were also missing from the van.

Police have registered a case against the driver and launched an investigation into the alleged theft.

Last week, two guards of a money changer were shot dead in Buffer Zone and a worker was wounded by suspected robbers over resistance. They took away around Rs1m from the victims and escaped. The driver of the van remained safe.

Police had claimed that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not followed for transferring the huge cash amount from a bank to the money changer's office.

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...