KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) have arrested nine suspects during intelligence-based operations carried out in different areas of Karachi, including Purana Golimar, Pak Colony, and Nazimabad.

According to Rangers, the arrested individuals are linked to two organized criminal groups known as the Kashif Dada Gang and the Riyasat Jadgal Gang. The suspects have been identified as Arsalan alias Mithu, son of Suleman; Liaquat Ali alias Commando, son of Ghulam Haider; Aashir, son of Aslam; Ahsan Safdar alias Shano, son of Safdar Hussain; Rizwan alias Tando, son of Karim Bakhsh; Muhammad Ahmed, son of Muhammad Yahya; Nauman, son of Javed Iqbal; Nadeem, son of Muhammad Irshad; and Sajjad, son of Ghulam Hussain.

During the operations, Rangers recovered a large quantity of illegal items, including four pistols with ammunition, 363 packets of crystal meth, 8.35 kilograms of hashish, 25 packets of ice (methamphetamine), 48 bottles of liquor, 150 kilograms of gutka, 1,490 packets of mawa (chewing tobacco), 18 mobile phones, and Rs 4,137,400 in cash.

Rangers officials said the arrested suspects are part of organized gangs involved in armed robberies, drug trafficking, motorcycle theft, and mobile phone snatching in several areas of Karachi, particularly Purana Golimar, Pak Colony, and Nazimabad.

Authorities further stated that the suspects are habitual criminals and multiple FIRs have already been registered against them at different police stations across the city.

Raids are currently underway to arrest other members of the gangs. The arrested suspects, along with the recovered weapons and illegal items, have been handed over to the police for further legal action.