Karachi police have arrested a 65-year-old man accused of leading a gang of dacoits who used rickshaws to rob traders in the city. The suspect, Rahim Bux, was apprehended along with his accomplices in a late-night operation on Sunday, police officials confirmed on Monday.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and wealthiest city, has long struggled with violent crime despite a military-backed crackdown launched in 2013. The sprawling metropolis, home to over 20 million people, remains rife with muggings and armed robberies, with nearly 100 fatalities recorded this year during street crimes.
Rahim Bux, described as a hardened criminal, was released from prison in 2018 after serving a 20-year sentence for a 1998 bank heist that claimed the lives of two policemen and several accomplices. Following his release, Bux reportedly formed the “Rickshaw Gang,” targeting traders leaving cattle markets with cash.
“Bux formed his gang of four after his release from jail and started looting citizens. We arrested all gang members last night [Sunday] after a tip-off,” Marwat told Arab News.
According to police official Mumtaz Khan Marwat, the gang would lure victims into their rickshaws or follow them before robbing them at gunpoint. Bux, the gang leader, would oversee operations and flee the scene with his accomplices using the same rickshaw.
“Bux is a seasoned criminal with multiple cases against him in Karachi and Larkana divisions,” said Ihsanullah Khan, a police official involved in interrogating the suspects.