Unknown thieves looted millions of rupees in the dark of night in Wana Bazaar, the main commercial centre of South Waziristan, causing serious concern among traders and citizens.
According to the affected shopkeeper Zainuddin Shamshikhel, unknown persons broke the locks of the shop at night and entered inside, systematically packed the valuables, and fled. The stolen goods included mobile cards worth about six and a half lakh rupees, six lakh rupees in cash, four cheque books of different banks, and three passports.
He said that the stolen cheque books included two UBLs, one Allied Bank, and one HBL cheque book, while the thieves also took other important documents, including passports, with them.
The incident came to light in the morning when the shopkeeper reached the shop for daily business. Seeing the broken locks of the shop and scattered goods, the local traders and the relevant authorities were immediately informed. As soon as the information was received, a large number of traders and citizens gathered at the spot.
The traders termed the incident as one of the biggest thefts in the recent history of Wana Bazaar and raised questions about the security arrangements. The local business circles have demanded that the law enforcement agencies take immediate action and arrest the elements involved in the incident, recover the looted money and goods, and ensure effective security measures in the market so that such incidents can be prevented in the future.
The residents of the area and the business community, expressing serious concern and anger over the incident, have demanded that the District Police Officer (DPO) South Waziristan Lower take immediate notice and take effective measures on an emergency basis.
They said that due to insufficient police surveillance and a lack of patrolling in Wana Bazaar and its surroundings, theft and other crimes are continuously increasing. They demanded that police patrols in the market be made more active, security be tightened during the night hours, and indiscriminate action be taken against criminal elements to ensure the safety of the lives and property of traders and citizens.
According to sources, the incident has been reported to the relevant agencies, while the police have already started investigating the incident.
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