At least 11 highly wanted and dangerous members of the Umrani gang surrendered to police following a large-scale operation against criminal elements in the katcha areas of Rajanpur, police said on Sunday.
Rajanpur police carried out a targeted operation in the Katcha Umrani, Sukhani and Katcha Karachi areas, employing modern technology, including drones, to shell the hideouts of the criminals.
According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the operation led to the surrender of 11 key members of the Umrani gang. The hideouts and bunkers of the dacoits were destroyed, while the surrendered suspects handed over heavy weapons and other arms to law enforcement authorities.
District Police Officer (DPO) Rajanpur Muhammad Imran said the arrested dacoits were long wanted in multiple cases, including kidnapping, murder and armed robbery. He added that the suspects would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law and awarded due punishment.
The DPO said an intense exchange of fire was still underway between police and the remaining dacoits in the area. He warned other criminal elements to surrender immediately or face strict action.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar lauded the performance of the Rajanpur police and commended the officers involved in the operation. He said the campaign to eliminate crime from the katcha areas would continue with full force.
Last week, notorious katcha area dacoit Mera Lathani, who was carrying a head money of Rs10 million, surrendered to police along with his accomplices Fida alias Rathor Lathani and Zulfi Lathani in Rahim Yar Khan.
Earlier, in October last year, at least 72 wanted dacoits from Sindh’s Shikarpur district also laid down their weapons. Many of them were carrying bounties, and officials described the development as a turning point for areas long affected by crime and lawlessness.
The surrenders were carried out under President Asif Ali Zardari’s surrender policy approved in 2024, aimed at restoring peace and reclaiming the katcha areas falling under the Sukkur and Larkana divisions. Under the policy, surrendered bandits must face pending criminal cases before becoming eligible for inclusion in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
