RAWALPINDI: The police have sought ‘red warrants’ for 49 proclaimed offenders who had gone abroad, as one of them was brought back from the UAE with the help of NCB Interpol and handed over to the Rawalpindi police on Wednesday.

The court sent the accused on a three-day physical remand to allow the investigating officer to gather more evidence against the suspect.

DSP Syed Azhar Hussain is heading a special operation cell (SOC) constituted in 2024 to bring back all fugitives through the Interpol by issuing their red notices.

The SOC initiated the process of red notices regarding 49 POs wanted by the district police in different cases. The POs have gone to the UAE, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, the US, Malaysia, Dubai, and Italy.

DSP Hussain said that one of the fugitives, Mohammad Rameez, was brought back from the UAE by Interpol on Tuesday and handed over to the Rawalpindi police on Wednesday. He was produced before a court for remand. Rameez, who shot and injured a citizen in the Sadiqabad area.

He said after the formation of the SOC, all heinous cases were reviewed, and the proclaimed offenders wanted by the police and those who had gone abroad to avoid arrest were identified. He added efforts were started to get their red notices.

The cell has been engaged in legal processes for the past six months to arrest the absconding accused involved in 49 cases, the DSP said.

According to police sources, more than 9,127 proclaimed offenders are on the wanted list. The police have been given a monthly target to arrest them as their number has been increasing compared to the arrests made by the police. Of the total POs, 941 had been placed in category A, while 8,186 had been placed in the B category. Of the total POs, there are 2,575 wanted by the Rawal Division, 3,950 POs wanted by Potohar, and 2,602 wanted by the Saddar Division.

The police have been unable to meet the monthly target to apprehend proclaimed offenders and court absconders despite several reminders by the police high-ups who warned the SHOs that departmental action would be taken if they did not meet their target.

All SHOs of Rawal, Potohar and Sadar divisions had been given targets every month to arrest the POs and court absconders, but to no avail. A target for February had been set by the police to apprehend 862 proclaimed offenders—including 814 of category B and 48 of category A.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025