Two suspected mobile snatchers arrested after police encounter in Swabi

SWABI: Two suspected mobile snatchers were arrested in injured condition after an exchange of fire with police in Chota Lahor tehsil on Tuesday, while two of their alleged accomplices managed to escape, according to police.

Chota Lahor city police station SHO Haroon Khan said the police received information during patrolling that four armed robbers and snatchers, riding on two motorcycles, were present in the area with the intention of snatching mobile phones and looting people at gunpoint.

He said a police party immediately moved to the location after receiving the information. According to the SHO, the suspects opened fire on the police when they arrived, apparently in an attempt to flee under the cover of gunfire. The patrolling team then chased them and returned fire in what police described as an act of self-defence.

Police said that after the exchange of fire, two of the suspects were injured and taken into custody, while the other two escaped from the scene.

The arrested men were identified as Abdul Samad and Bihar Ali, both residents of Yar Hussain Ormal, Dheri. Police said firearms and a motorcycle used in the incident were recovered from their possession.

The two injured suspects were shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for treatment. Police said efforts to trace and arrest their two fleeing accomplices were continuing.

During the initial investigation, police found that the arrested suspects were allegedly part of an organised snatching gang.

Police also linked the detained men to an earlier armed robbery case. According to the initial investigation, on February 28, the suspects snatched a mobile phone and a motorcycle at gunpoint from complainant Muhammad Oman, a resident of Haryan.

District Police Officer Swabi Waqas Rafiqe said operations against criminal elements would continue, adding that the district police remained active in protecting the lives and property of the public.

Police operation in Chota Lahor

The incident took place in Chota Lahor tehsil, where police said they acted on information received during routine patrolling. The encounter ended with the arrest of two injured suspects and the recovery of weapons and a motorcycle, while a search operation for the remaining two suspects was still under way. DPO Swabi Waqas Rafiqe vowed that operations against criminal elements would continue and the district police was always active to protect the lives and property of the people.