SUKKUR: The investigation officer (IO) and two head muharars (writers) were suspended and arrested after 138 (9mm) pistols seized on October 2 were taken away from their custody in a heist on Monday.

The outlaws took over the car carrying the weapons while it was parked outside a roadside hotel and the policemen had taken a break for tea on their way back to Jacobabad from Larkana. The police team had obtained the arms from the Larkana forensic lab and were supposed to bring them back to Jacobabad.

Ordering an inquiry into the heist and suspected involvement of IO Abdul Aziz Qureshi along with the head muhrars, Ghulam Mustafa Sanjrani and ShehzadAhmed, in the matter, Jacobabad SSP Saddam Hussain Khaskheli said that initial reports suggested they had played a role in the heist.

The arms consignment was seized by a police patrol during search of a truck bearing registration No. TGK 245 at the Shanbi Shah checkpoint within the limits of the Saddar police station of Jacobabad on October 2. The truck had started its journey from Gujranwala and was on its way to Balochistan, the police said. Two suspects, Saeed Pathan and Abdul Bari Pathan, who were transporting the arms consignment were arrested.

An arms smuggling case was registered against them.

The handout issued from Jacobabad SSP`s office suspected that IO Abdul Aziz Qureshi seemed to have been in contact with `facilitators` of the arrestedsuspects. It noted that the IO had earlier obtained the authority letter `by phone` to collect the arms from the Larkana forensic lab and was supposed to bring back the weapons to Jacobabad.

It said that the IO and head muharars had been suspended and arrested and an investigation into the matter started.

The SSP was quoted as arguing that transporting the weapons [case property] by a private vehicle, instead of an official one, and without a police escort and without informing senior officers raised questions about the IO`s conduct.

The handout said that the SSP had formed a three-member committee headed by the Saddar DSP to investigate the matter and submit its report within the next 24 hours.

Sources in Jacobabad police suggestedthat the suspects who took away the weapons were associates of the arrested suspects, Saeed Pathan and Abdul Bari Pathan.

They said that IO Qureshi went to the forensic lab alone in civil dress and without a police escort to take custody of the 138 pistols. He loaded the weapons into a car. When the car entered within the limits of the Shikarpur district, the driver parked it outside a roadside teashop and the police team went inside to have tea, the sources said. In the meantime, some suspects, believed to be associates of Saeed and Abdul Bari, took over the car and got away with the arms, they said.

They said that as soon as the Jacobabad SSP received information about the heist, he himself rushed to the site of the incident and collected further information.