A significant 36 percent overall decrease in street crime has been recorded in Karachi this year, while Sindh Police have intensified operations against criminal groups, resulting in the killing of four notorious extortionists in recent encounters. This crackdown was carried out by law enforcement agencies in collaboration with local traders, as part of a commitment to secure the city’s economic landscape.
“With the cooperation of the business community, we will eradicate elements that halt and disrupt the wheel of the economy,” said Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police, Ghulam Nabi Memon, assuring that indiscriminate action against such individuals will continue.
The AIG Operations presented a report to the IG detailing significant progress in combating extortion. Of the 118 complaints registered this year, only 44 were confirmed as genuine cases of extortion after investigation, while the remaining 74 complaints were the result of personal or business disputes. The police have achieved an 87 percent success rate by solving 39 of these cases.
In these operations, 78 suspects were identified, of whom 43 were arrested and five were killed in police encounters. Operations significantly intensified after a meeting between the IG and business leaders last week, during which four extortionists-Abid Hadi, Saeed, Ghulam Qadir, and Ehtesham alias Asif Burger of the Kathiawari group-were killed within 10 days.
According to the statistics, a significant decrease has been observed in violent crimes, where the daily rate has dropped by 52 percent from 2.13 in January 2024 to 1.06 by September 2025. The daily average of all street crimes has decreased from 252 incidents in 2024 to 167 this year.
Compared to last year, a clear decline has also been seen in specific types of crimes. Incidents of mobile phone snatching have decreased by 38 percent, vehicle snatching by 43 percent, and vehicle theft by 34 percent.
In a separate briefing on kidnapping incidents, it was reported that 34 cases of kidnapping for ransom were registered in Karachi this year, targeting 37 individuals. Sindh Police successfully recovered 35 abductees, while efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining two who were involved in “honey trap” incidents. Operations against these kidnapper gangs resulted in the arrest of 46 individuals and the death of two kidnappers.