KARACHI: A dismissed police official was on Friday arrested for his alleged role in supporting gangsters and other crimes.

Acting on a tip-off provided by an intelligence agency, a joint team of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested Zaheer Ahmed alias Gul in Malir.

A Rangers spokesperson said thatthe suspect was a police inspector in the CTD and he was dismissed from service in 2016 because of his involvement in a kidnapping for ransom case. He said that an FIR in this regard was already lodged at the CTD police station.

`During service in CTD and after dismissal from the job, he continued providing arms and ammunition to the Sohail Dada gang linked with Lyari gangsters,` said the official.

`The suspect also facilitated the gangsters in provision of fundsthrough his involvement in sale of drugs and land grabbing,` he said.

Despite being dismissed, the suspect illegally detained many people by posing himself a CTD inspector and released them after taking bribes.

The law enforcers recovered a Kalashnikov, .222-rifle, 12-bore rifle, 32-bore pistol, one grenade, huge quantity of ammunition, 27 kilogrammes of explosives, two kilogrammes hashish and foreign currencies from him.`Efforts are under way to arrest his other accomplices,` the Rangers spokesperson said, adding that the held suspect was handed over to the CTD for further legal action.

Meanwhile, CTD SSP retired Capt Parvez Ahmed Chandio told Dawn that the suspect was remanded in CTD custody.

He said the suspect while in service misappropriated case properties as he did not deposit seized arms, ammunition and other valuables before the courts concerned.