Residents of the city of lights are feeling insecure after a bold robbery in the vicinity of the religious festivities of Eid-ul-Adha this year. The owner of 25 high value goats in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Karachi was left financially ruined after they were stolen by unidentified persons on the eve of the incident.
The Midnight Heist: How It Happened
The incident took place sometime Friday night to Saturday morning in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, block 8-A. The victim stated that the goats were chained in an empty field where he had them while he was able to sell them later.
CCTV footage of the crime shows it was a well co-ordinated operation. The suspects came into the area on motorcycles and a car to search the area. After that, a mini-truck was brought in and within minutes, all 25 animals (worth more than Rs 1.9 million) were loaded into the truck and the suspects vanished in the night.
Police Investigation and Rising Crime Rates
A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged at Malir Cantt Police Station. Police officials have said they are looking at footage from the CCTV to check to see if they can find out the registration number of the cars involved.
Unfortunately, this is not a one-off occurrence. Organized groups of men and women aggressively hit residential areas and temporary cattle markets every year at “Bakramandi” season. These animals are very valuable on the market and are thus a good target for criminals. Citizens can check the official Sindh Police Website for official crime prevention related updates.
Everything You Need to Know to Stay Safe
Following are the precautions suggested by experts and police to avoid being a victim of sacrificial animal theft in Karachi:
Keep animals in an enclosed compound or well-lit backyard, avoid an open, roadside plot.
Community Vigilance: A mutual arrangement should be made between the local ‘Mohalla’ committees and the community to appoint private security guards during the Eid period.
Consider installing Smart Surveillance: A basic Wi-Fi camera that detects motion will help give you valuable advance warning if someone comes close to your animals at night.
Check sellers: Check that sellers are legitimate when buying from a “street seller” to avoid accidental purchase of stolen property.
Government Regulations
There is a tendency among the Karachi administration to implement Section 144 to order the stoppage of animal movement and their sale outside the markets such as Northern Bypass Cattle Mandi. These rules not only help regulate traffic, but keep your animals in a more secure, monitored area.
It’s a devastating blow to any trader or citizen when they lose Rs 1.9m. This has clearly become a warning for every citizen of Karachi and as the police are still on their search for the Gulistan-e-Jauhar thieves this incident has left a lesson for them.
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