Bahawalpur Police Arrest 13,000 Offenders, Including 312 Gamblers

Bahawalpur Police have arrested a whopping number of 13,881 suspects in the last half a year, recovered stolen cash, and seized property with an estimated worth of more than Rs110 million ($1.31 million).

The long list included 2,705 individuals with links to criminal advertisements as well as 365 court absconders and more than 300 gamblers. 

Effective Crime Control Strategy 

According to District Police Officer (DPO) Asad Sarfraz Khan, the authorities have been focused on identifying individuals responsible for causing disruptions in society and making sure they will be sent to prison. 

Closely following the guidance of chief minister Punjab and IG Punjab, DPO Khan’s crime control strategy, which has gathered 12,582 old and new offense cases in the last six months, has been highly efficient. 

Bahawalpur Police have apprehended 17 gangs, including individuals known as Shahid alias (“Shahdi”), Ramzan Dashti, Sajjad (“Sajjadi”), and Mujahid (“Muji”).

312 Gamblers Arrested in Six Months

As a result of operations that targeted gambling, an activity deemed illegal for citizens under the Prevention of Gambling Act 1977, based on the British-era Public Gambling Act of 1867, the authorities filed 50 cases in total. 

This resulted in 312 gamblers getting arrested and stripped of their gambling equipment and substantial amounts of money. 

Earlier in the week, we reported that the Peshawar High Court decided to stop the Pakistan Cricket Board from inking gambling sponsorships. 

The ruling was made following a petition that challenged betting agreements by the Pakistan Super League and the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Close to 1,500 Illegal Firearm- and Drug-Related Cases 

The Bahawalpur Police also filed no less than 522 cases tied to illegal firearms. 

This resulted in 525 arrests and the recovery of 12 rifles, 14 guns, 24 repeaters, two Kalashnikov rifles, 31 carabines, 383 pistols, 53 revolvers, and 1,550 rounds of ammunition. 

Moreover, the authorities filed 952 cases related to drugs, which further led to 952 suspects being arrested. 

The police confiscated more than eight kilograms of hashish, six kilograms of crystal ice, two kilograms of heroin, seven kilograms of opium, three kilograms of cannabis, and 33,234 liters of alcohol. 

They also took hold of 81 distillation furnaces that were active.

1,940 Arrests Aligned with the National Action Plan

As part of the National Action Plan, which was established by the Government of Pakistan in December 2014 as a means of cracking down on terrorism and supplementing the continuous offensive against terrorists in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, 1,940 suspects have been arrested and presented before the court.

Khan, who is a former SSP Telecom­munication, Punjab, Lahore transferred and posted as DPO Bahawalpur in March, further encouraged the community as well as the media to offer support in the identification of individuals who are causing imbalances in social peace. 

The DPO reiterated the authorities’ commitment to sending these individuals behind bars while expressing his view that crime rates can drop significantly via community cooperation and timely reports.