Karachi has witnessed surge in street crime, with 5,960 incidents reported in August alone. According to the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) report, the city saw a rise in street crime, including vehicle theft, with 23 cars stolen at gunpoint and 150 cars stolen. Report stated that the motorcycles were also a target, with 656 stolen and 3385 reported stolen from various areas of the city. Furthermore, robbers snatched 1737 mobile phones from citizens, while 3 cases of kidnapping for ransom and 6 cases of extortion were also reported. On August 10, police reported that Karachi witnessed a staggering surge in street crimes, with over 44,000 incidents reported in just the first seven months of the year 2024.

The majority of the crimes involved the theft of motorcycles in the metropolis. In the span of the first seven months of the current year, more than 31,000 motorcycles were either stolen or snatched from their owners, making them the most common target in these street crime incidents, while, over 11,800 mobile phones were snatched from citizens. The data further revealed that around 1,200 cars were snatched from citizens during the same period, adding to the already high levels of insecurity among residents.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan