KARACHI, Jan 22: Bandits looted cash, jewellery and automobiles worth millions of rupees in several armed hold-ups committed on Tuesday in parts of the city.

A gang of at least six dacoits went on a looting spree in Korangi, where they robbed three jewellery shops.

Witnesses said the gang split into pairs and went into the Maria Jewellers, Imran Jewellers and Hamza Jewellers at Madina Bazar at Korangi 2 at around 4.15pm.

They said the intruders held the shopkeepers and the customers at gunpoint, scooped up the gold ornaments and decamped with the booty.

President of the Anjuman-i-Tajiran of Madina Bazar, Shaikh Habib Ahmed, told Dawn that the gold ornaments worth over Rs1.5 million were looted from the three shops.

He said the gang first came to an ice-cream outlet, where they ordered ice-cream. “Then two of them swiftly moved to the three shops, looted the cash and jewellery and fled away,” he added.

The traders’ leader said the bandits were young and well dressed. “Some of them were wearing leather jackets,” he said.

A witness said the dacoits swiftly fled on their motorcycles after their 10-minute looting spree. He said senior police officials and the town nazim also arrived at the spot to sympathise with the robbery victims. He demanded that the authorities provide effective security to the shopkeepers.

In another robbery in the Khwaja Ajmer Nagri police area, unknown burglars took away one kilogram gold and Rs450,000 from a jewellery shop.

Zulfiqar Ahmed, owner of Naeem Jewellers, reported to the police that unknown thieves stole gold and cash from his shop in an early morning burglary.

Ex-PTCL official robbed

A retired officer of the Pakistan Telecommunication was robbed of saving certificates worth Rs750,000 and Rs75,000 in cash on the Clifton Bridge.

Artillery Maidan police said Mushataq Ahmed was returning home with his daughter in his car after obtaining saving certificates from the State Bank.

They said two dacoits, riding in a silver car, intercepted the victim on the bridge at around 2pm.

Mr Ahmed told Dawn that one of the occupants, carrying a pistol in his hand, got off his car and held him hostage at gunpoint. He said the bandit took away the envelop containing the certificates and cash.

Meanwhile, as many as 14 automobiles and an equal number of motorbikes were either snatched at gunpoint or stolen in different parts of the city.

According to figures collated from the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee, the bandits snatched six cars and six motorbikes in armed holdups.

Besides, eight cars and an equal number of motorbikes were stolen in the city.

The bandits also snatched as many as 23 cellular phones across the city. The thieves also stole as many as 29 cellphones.

Meanwhile, five bandits hijacked an oil tanker in Korangi Industrial Area near Murtaza Chowrangi late Monday night.

Tanker driver Ghulam Shabir told Korangi Industrial Area police that he was on his way to supply canola oil when the bandits intercepted his truck (JP-0688)) at midnight.

He told the police that the bandits overpowered him and the truck cleaner, Imran, and drove the vehicle away.