QUETTA : Three members of an inter-provincial vehicle theft ring were killed in a late-night police encounter on the CPEC Road in Quetta, police claimed on Thursday. The deceased were identified as part of the notorious ‘Lashari Group,’ wanted in 172 cases of vehicle snatching, theft, and robbery across Sindh and Punjab.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Jinnah Town police station, the operation was launched based on intelligence that gang members were entering the city. A police blockade was established on Samangali Road around 2 a.m. A suspicious vehicle was signaled to stop near Kharotabad at 3:10 a.m., but its occupants opened fire and sped towards the under-construction CPEC road.
A chase ensued, during which the accused allegedly fired at the pursuing officers, with several bullets striking police bulletproof jackets. The vehicle eventually stopped, and five individuals disembarked, continuing to fire at the police. In the ensuing exchange, three individuals were killed. Police stated the deceased may have been hit by their accomplices’ fire, while two armed suspects escaped under cover of darkness. Pistols, mobile phones, cash, and vehicle documents were recovered from the scene.
The crackdown follows a major investigation into an elaborate theft network. Senior police officials revealed last week that the gang used sophisticated methods, stealing vehicles—primarily from Karachi—and smuggling them into Balochistan for sale. Transactions were allegedly conducted via encrypted WhatsApp groups and cryptocurrency to avoid detection.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Quetta Imran Shaukat had previously stated that over three weeks of intelligence work led to a major operation, recovering 20 vehicles and arresting four suspects. Police assert the gang fraudulently marketed stolen vehicles as assets from bank defaults. To date, 26 vehicles have been recovered from the group in Quetta, highlighting the scale of the inter-provincial criminal operation.
